Cuba says airlines can no longer refuel on the island as US blockade deepens energy crisis

HAVANA (AP) — Cuban aviation officials have warned airlines that there isn't enough fuel for airplanes to refuel on the island, the latest step in its moves to ration energy as the Trump administration cuts the Caribbean nation off from its fuel resources.

The government of Cuba published the notices to airlines and pilots on Sunday night, warning that jet fuel won’t be available at nine airports across the island, including José Martí International Airport in Havana, starting Tuesday and continuing until March 11.

Political pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump on Latin America has effectively severed Cuba’s access to its primary petroleum sources in Venezuela and Mexico.

In late January, Trump signed an executive order that would impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, a move that could further cripple an island plagued by a deepening energy crisis.

While the rationing may not disrupt shorter regional flights, it presents a significant challenge for long-haul routes from countries like Russia and Canada — a critical pillar of Cuba’s tourism economy.

On Monday, Air Canada announced it was suspending flights to the island, while other airlines announced delays and layovers in the Dominican Republic before flights continued to Havana.

One pilot added that while refueling issues have occurred before, an official announcement of this scale is extraordinary even for an island accustomed to perpetual crisis. The last time such cuts occurred — more than a decade ago — aircraft bound for Europe refueled in Nassau, Bahamas, the pilot recalled. Now, regional airlines could avoid problems by bringing extra fuel, while others could refuel in Cancun, Mexico, or in the Dominican Republic.

It remains unclear how long the notice will remain in effect and Cuban officials have made no public comments on the matter.

The fuel shortage deals another blow to a country that relies heavily on tourism, an industry that once generated $3 billion in annual revenue and served as a vital economic lifeline.

Cuban officials also announced Monday that bank hours have been reduced and cultural events suspended. In Havana, the public bus system has effectively ground to a halt, leaving residents stranded as endemic power outages and grueling fuel lines reach a breaking point.

The energy emergency has forced the suspension of major events like the Havana International Book Fair this weekend and a restructuring of the national baseball season for greater efficiency. Some banks have cut operating hours and fuel distribution companies said they would no longer sell gas in Cuban pesos — and that sales will be made in dollars and limited to 20 liters (5.28 gallons) per user.

The latest measures add to others announced Friday, including cuts to bus transportation and limited train departures.

On Thursday, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel delivered a two-hour televised address, acknowledging the impact and warning that measures would be taken in the coming days.

U.S. sanctions against Cuba have been in place for more than six decades and have long stunted Cuba's economy. But they reached new extremes after a U.S. military operation deposed former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and Trump began to take an even more confrontational tone toward Latin America.

For many Cubans, the crisis has translated into power outages lasting up to 10 hours, fuel shortages for vehicles, and a lack of food or medicine that many compare to the severe economic depression in the 1990s known as the Special Period that followed cuts in aid from what was then the Soviet Union.

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Associated Press journalists Joshua Funk in Omaha, Nebraska and Megan Janetsky in Mexico City contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s Latin America coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

A man wearing a jacket in the colors of Venezuela's flag lines up to purchase fuel at a gas station in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

People look at their travel documents at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, Cuba, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A Turkish Airlines aircraft prepares for take-off at José Martí International Airport in Havana, Cuba, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A Turkish Airlines plane takes off alongside an American Airlines plane at Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, Cuba, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan reversed its decision to boycott the T20 World Cup game against India and was directed to “take the field” in Colombo next Sunday.

A weeklong impasse ended on Monday, a day after International Cricket Council director Imran Khawaja and Bangladesh Cricket Board president Aminul Islam arrived in Lahore to talk with the Pakistan Cricket Board.

After Bangladesh was booted from the World Cup two weeks ago when the ICC dismissed its security concerns about playing in India, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi decried a “double standard” and said it was “an injustice.” The Pakistan government told its cricket board to boycott the India group game in solidarity with Bangladesh.

But Pakistan-India matches are the biggest and richest in cricket and the consequences of no match threatened current and future TV rights deals and ICC funding of the global game.

Sri Lanka Cricket urged Pakistan on Friday to reconsider and Bangladesh's Islam asked on Monday that the match go ahead “for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem."

“We are deeply moved by Pakistan's efforts to go above and beyond in supporting Bangladesh during this period,” Islam said. “Long may our brotherhood flourish.”

The ICC on Monday said it would not penalize Bangladesh for missing the T20 World Cup for the first time. The ICC added Bangladesh had the right to approach the dispute resolution committee “should it choose to do so.”

Naqvi then announced a decision by Pakistan within 48 hours, but the final clincher appeared to come from a phone call on Monday evening between Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

The Pakistan government said Dissanayake asked Sharif “to accord serious consideration to amicably resolve the current impasse.”

The government then posted on X, “In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions, as well as the request of friendly countries, the Government of Pakistan hereby directs the Pakistan National Cricket Team to take the field on February 15, 2026, for its scheduled fixture in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

“Moreover, this decision has been taken with the aim of protecting the spirit of cricket, and to support the continuity of this global sport in all participating nations.”

Sharif gave his best wishes to the “Men in Green,” who have already started the World Cup with a win over the Netherlands.

The ICC said Bangladesh will be awarded a global tournament before the men's World Cup in 2031.

ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta said in a statement that Bangladesh's absence from the T20 World Cup “is regrettable but it does not alter the ICC’s enduring commitment to Bangladesh as a core cricketing nation.”

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Pakistan's Abrar Ahmed, right, and teammate Babar Azam celebrate the wicket of Netherlands' captain Scott Edwards during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Netherlands and Pakistan in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)