Final Canadian Flights Have Departed From Cuba: Foreign Affairs Minister

The last flight operated by a Canadian airline has departed from Cuba, a week after the federal government warned against non-essential travel to the island amid fuel shortages. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand confirmed the final departure on Feb. 18 in a statement on X, thanking airline workers who “helped bring more than 27,900 travellers safely back to Canada.” She said that for Canadians still located in Cuba, there are commercial flight options available through international airlines.

“Please consider departing while options are still available,” Anand added.

Ottawa updated its travel advisory for Cuba on Feb. 12, advising Canadians to avoid non-essential travel to the communist country. The advisory said Cuba is facing shortages of fuel, electricity, food, water, and medicine, which can “also affect resorts.”

While the Canadian government’s previous advisory for Cuba merely said to “exercise a high degree of caution” when travelling to the country, the updated advisory advised those in Cuba without a return ticket to seek a “commercial option to leave the country.” The advisory also said the availability of fuel in Cuba had fallen and could disrupt ground transportation. 

Ottawa’s updated advisory came days after Air Canada announced it was suspending its service to Cuba due to a shortage of aviation fuel on the island. The airline said on Feb. 9 that it would be operating empty flights to Cuba to pick up around 3,000 customers and bring them home.

An official notice posted to the Federal Aviation Administration website on Feb. 8 said that Jet A1 fuel was “not available” for Havana’s José Martí International Airport as of Feb. 10, with the warning running until March 11.

Other Canadian airlines WestJet, Air Transat, and Sunwing also announced flexible rebooking or cancellation options for flights to Cuba this month. Airlines COPA and Aeromexico are still offering one-way flights from Havana to Toronto throughout February.

Cuba has historically relied on its ally Venezuela for much of its oil and fuel imports, and U.S. sanctions and pressure on Venezuelan energy exports have contributed to fuel shortages in Cuba.

Venezuelan energy shipments to Cuba declined sharply after U.S. military forces captured Venezuelan Leader Nicolás Maduro in early January in a night raid on the country’s capital, and placed targeted sanctions on the country.

Additionally, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 29 that authorized the U.S. to place additional tariffs on imports from countries that directly or indirectly supply oil to Cuba under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The order said Cuba aligns itself with regimes hostile to the United States such as China, Russia, and Iran, and that the policies of the Cuba’s communist regime “constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat” to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.

Interim NDP Leader Don Davies stood in the House of Commons on Feb. 10 to call for Canada to respond to the United States’ “illegal blockade” on Cuba, and supply the country with aid “in the face of aggressive U.S. imperialism.”

Anand responded that Canada is “deeply concerned by the deteriorating conditions” in Cuba, and the consular officials remain prepared to help Canadians in need.

“Our top priority will always be the safety and security of Canadians, and our foreign policy is based on that,” she added.

Noé Chartier contributed to this report.