Iberia Reduces Cuba Flights as Fuel Crisis & US Sanctions Hit Tourism

Iberia cuts Madrid-Havana flights as Cuba faces a severe jet fuel crisis & power outages, stemming from US sanctions on Venezuela. Cuban tourism plummets as Canadian carriers also suspend service, leading to a significant drop in overall air travel.

Iberia, which operates 3X-weekly trips in between Madrid-Barajas Flight terminal (MAD) and Havana’s José Martí International Airport Terminal (HVN), will certainly reduce service on the route to 2X-weekly in May. The service provider will put on hold the route in June at the very least up until November.

The Cuban federal government has actually verified media records that U.S. officials took a trip to the island for talks earlier in April, however there has actually been no public indicator from the Trump administration that the fuel clog will be eased.

MAD-HVN Airline Capacity Overview

Air China operates fifth-freedom service in between MAD-HVN, an expansion of trips between Beijing and MAD. The carrier presently offers 586 two-way weekly seats on the course, according to OAG data. Air Europa operates 967 two-way weekly seats between MAD and HVN, while Spanish charter provider World2Fly deals 432 two-way regular seats on the route.

According to OAG Schedules Analyzer data, Iberia is presently operating 882 two-way weekly seats on the path. In total, 4 airlines are currently using 2,867 weekly two-way seats on the MAD-HVN course, down from 9,992 two-way weekly seats in January.

Cuba Jet Fuel & Power Outage Crisis

HVN lacked jet fuel in February and Iberia is making refueling stops in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in order to serve the MAD-HVN path. Beyond the lack of jet fuel, Cuba is experiencing extensive power outages. The scenario has “considerably damaged demand” to Cuba, Iberia claimed.

The service provider presently uses 586 two-way once a week seats on the route, according to OAG data. Air Europa runs 967 two-way regular seats between MAD and HVN, while Spanish charter service provider World2Fly deals 432 two-way weekly seats on the course.

US Sanctions Impacting Cuba’s Fuel

Adhering to a Jan. 3 united state armed forces raid in Caracas, Venezuela, that drawn out Nicolás Maduro– the previous Venezuelan head of state is now in prison in the U.S. awaiting a criminal test– brand-new management in the country accepted united state President Donald Trump’s need that Venezuela quit exporting gas to Cuba, removing the nation’s major resource of power. Trump has also intimidated to penalize any other nation that ships oil to Cuba with sanctions and tariffs.

Despite Iberia going down solution, integrated arranged two-way regular seats on the route by the three staying airline companies are planned to rise to 5,398 in June. It is highly unclear if that degree of solution in between MAD and HVN is practical if the gas clog proceeds, specifically since carriers are forced to make refueling stops to make flying the route feasible.

The governments of Brazil, Mexico and Spain released a joint declaration on April 18 expressing “deep concern over the significant altruistic dilemma facing the Cuban people” and required “the adoption of the steps required to reduce this circumstance.” The nations, which did not point out the united state by name, said they would certainly coordinate a “humanitarian reaction to soothe the suffering of the Cuban people.”

Canadian Airlines & Cuban Tourism Hit

Canadian airline companies Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat, each of which served several Cuban locations and accounted for a sizable share of the island’s worldwide traffic, all put on hold service to the nation indefinitely in February.

Iberia reducing solution to HVN is one more blow for Cuban tourism, which has plummeted given that February. Numerous Canadian airlines dropped service to Cuba in February– cutting off a significant source of the country’s tourism organization– and various other airline companies from worldwide have actually been minimizing or putting on hold flights to the island.

Based upon present schedules, three service providers are slated to continue trips on the MAD-HVN route with the summertime. According to OAG Schedules Analyzer information, Iberia is presently running 882 two-way regular seats on the course. In total amount, four airline companies are presently offering 2,867 once a week two-way seats on the MAD-HVN course, down from 9,992 two-way regular seats in January.

Havana Air Traffic Sees Steep Decline

Normally, air solution to the island has decreased in current weeks, however there are still 39,999 complete two-way weekly seats being run to and from HVN, according to OAG data. That figure is almost cut in half from 74,888 two-way regular seats ran to and from HVN for the week of April 21, 2025.