WestJet, Air Transat postponing restart of flights to Cuba
· Toronto Sun
As Cuba continues to grapple with a fuel crisis, two Canadian airlines are extending their suspension of flights to the island nation.
In an email obtained by The Canadian Press, WestJet said most Cuba trips have been cancelled to the end of October, though it said some tour divisions may resume in June.
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Air Transat also recently updated its operations servicing Cuba, stating in a notice on its website that the airline planned to resume flights on June 20, but added that “capacity will also be reduced for the summer season.”
The two airlines began suspending flights last month due to a fuel shortage crippling the Caribbean island.
Air Canada flights to Cuba have been suspended until November.
Instability from U.S. oil blockade and blackouts
The Cuban government has blamed its energy woes on a United States oil blockade after U.S. President Donald Trump in January threatened tariffs against any country that ships fuel to the island.
The island also has an aging electricity grid that’s been pushed to the brink, leading to daily outages and several major blackouts in recent months.
As it was recovering from an island-wide power outage earlier this week, Trump told reporters at the Oval Office that “taking Cuba” would be a “big honour.”
A Global Affairs Canada advisory has warned Canadians to avoid non-essential travel to Cuba “due to worsening shortages of fuel, electricity, and basic necessities including food, water, and medicine,” which it said can also affect services at resorts.
Just pior to the flight suspensions last month, some resorts were reportedly moving tourists from one resort to another in order to conserve resources.
— with files from The Canadian Press