In the coming days, Rossiya will operate only return flights from Havana and Varadero to return Russian tourists.
MADRID, Spain.- The Russian Embassy in Cuba reported this Wednesday that the airlines Rossiya Airlines – part of the Aeroflot group – and Nordwind Airlines made “forced adjustments” in the flight program to Cuban airports “due to difficulties with the refueling of aircraft in Cuba.”
According to the statement, in the coming days “Rossiya” “will launch a series of flights with cargo only in the opposite direction—from Havana and Varadero to Moscow—to guarantee the transportation of Russian tourists currently in Cuba.” After those return flights, the airline will “temporarily suspend” its program “until the situation changes.”
The decision was made in the interest of the passengers,” the diplomatic headquarters indicated. The note adds that the Russian Ministry of Transport and Rosaviatsiya maintain the situation “under special control” and that they are “in constant contact with the Cuban air authorities.”
The announcement hits a key sector for the Cuban Government, which depends on tourism as a source of foreign currency in the midst of the economic and energy crisis. In 2025, Cuba closed with 1,810,663 international visitorsthe lowest level since 2002 (if the pandemic years are excluded).
Within this panorama, Russia was the second issuing market of the year with 131,882 travelers, behind Canada, according to data from the ONEI. Therefore, a temporary suspension of operations from that origin can add pressure to an already declining industry.
These modifications from Russia are in addition to the cancellations announced from Canada, the main source market for Cuban tourism. In the last few days, Air CanadaWestJet and Air Transat communicated the immediate suspension of their operations to the Island, a decision that fully impacts the flow of travelers that most supports the national tourism industry.
The trigger for these measures—and other recent interruptions—was the warning from Cuban authorities that they would not be able to guarantee the supply of aviation fuel at nine international airports, including the country’s main one, from this Tuesday until March 11, with the possibility that the restriction could be extended for at least a month.
The episode occurs after the worsening of the energy and fuel crisis in Cuba in recent weeks, in a context of greater pressure from the United States on Havana in the energy field. On January 29, 2026, the White House reported that President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency and activates a mechanism to impose tariffs on goods from countries that “sell or provide” oil to the Island; Reuters also reported that tariff threat linked to a presidential decree under that emergency declaration.
