Air France announced on March 4th about temporarily suspending flights between Paris and Havana for a few weeks, citing Cuba's lack of fuel leading to impacts on the tourism industry and other economic activities.
The airline said that flights departing from Paris - Charles de Gaulle airport to Cuba's capital will be suspended starting from March 28 and are expected to resume operations on June 15.
According to Air France, flights connecting these 2 points are currently stopped in the Bahamas to refuel when returning.
The flight suspension has a particularly heavy impact on the Cuban people because they depend on these flights to Europe because they cannot pass through the US.
On February 8, the Cuban government announced to airlines and pilots that aircraft fuel would not be available at 9 airports across the island, including José Martí International Airport in Havana, until March 11.
Cuba's tourism industry is being strongly affected by severe power outages, depleted oil reserves and escalating tensions with the US.
Essential oil shipments from Venezuela were stopped after the US attacked this South American country and arrested Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January 2026.
After that, US President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on any country that sells or transports oil to Cuba.
The US Treasury Department has announced that it will allow licensed companies to resell Venezuelan oil to Cuba's private sector, but the island's economic and energy crisis is expected to continue.
Other airlines have also suspended services to Cuba, including Air Canada. Air Canada announced on February 9 the suspension of services until further notice. On average, the airline operates 16 flights per week from Toronto and Montreal to 4 destinations across Cuba.
In developments related to the Cuban situation, the power outage in Cuba left millions of people without power.
A power outage occurred in the western half of Cuba on March 4, leaving millions of people in Havana and surrounding areas without power.
This is the latest power outage affecting the island that is struggling with fuel shortages.
This is the 2nd power outage affecting western Cuba in the past 3 months.
The Cuban State Electricity Federation confirmed the power outage on the X social media platform, saying it affected people from the eastern town of Pinar del Rio to the central town of Camaguey. Teams are working to restore power.
The cause of the power outage on March 4 is currently unknown.
