Havana/Starting this Thursday, February 12, the only Rossiya flights in Cuba will be return flights, to repatriate their compatriots to Russia. He announced it this Wednesday Aeroflotthe company that owns the airline, after several days ensuring that its trips were maintained normally.
Starting tomorrow, the Russian company will operate a series of flights that will leave Moscow empty to pick up passengers in Havana and Varadero. The priority, the firm indicates in its statement, is to return home the 4,000 Russian tourists who are still on the Island, a measure that they describe as “exceptional” and that has been adopted given the impossibility of maintaining normal operations and the planned itineraries.
In the case of passengers who are not Russian tourists and had purchased a ticket, the airline undertakes to refund the full cost of the ticket.
At the moment many of these tourists they are being concentrated in other hotels due to low occupancy and problems with power supply.
Since last Saturday the Cuban Government announced that starting Monday, February 9 and for at least a month, the country would not have enough kerosene to refuel planes, dozens of flights have been canceled. Air Canada did it on Monday, leaving thousands of tourists on tenterhooks. The Canadian company stated, however, that is prepared to repatriate up to 3,000 people between now and May 1, provided that operational and logistical conditions allow this staggered return plan to be sustained.
Russian tourism is one of the most important for the Island after Canadian tourism and Cubans residing abroad.
Russian tourism, one of the most important for the Island after Canadian tourism and Cubans residing abroad, had already suffered a large drop in 2025 compared to the same period the previous yeargoing from 43,859 to 22,306. Even so, this cancellation of flights to the Island is a hard blow for the country’s tourism sector, only comparable to the Covid years.
Other companies, such as Iberia, Air Europa, Aeroméxico and VivaAerobus, continue their trips to the Island until now, despite the fact that several embassies, including those of Mexico and Spain, have published statements alerting their citizens about the deterioration of living conditions in Cuba due to fuel shortages. In the specific case of Iberia and Air Europa, they announced that their aircraft would make a stop to refuel in the Dominican Republic. Iberia also offers its passengers with ticket to Havana the possibility of changing destination or refunding the ticket, despite not having canceled the route, since they cannot guarantee the return.
The uncertainty regarding the kerosene shortage has also caused the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba to cancel this Tuesday his planned visit to the Vatican to meet Pope Leo XIV.
In December 2024, the Cuban Airport and Airport Services Company had already sent a similar announcement due to fuel shortage for a week. So, the Russian airlines belonging to Aeroflot did not have to cancel the route from Moscow, since they could make a refueling stop in Caracas. This option is now ruled out.
