Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s growing pressure on Cuba, national security threats from communist regimes and the fight to end oil exports to the island.
Several airlines on Monday suspended flights to Cuba following warnings that the island is running out of jet fuel following President Donald Trump’s threat of tariffs on oil exports to the communist country.
At least three Canadian carriers, including the country’s largest airline, Air Canada, said jet fuel was expected to be unavailable for use at airports starting this week.
Other Canadian airlines, including low-cost carrier WestJet and leisure airline Air Transat, also canceled flights due to expected fuel shortages.
Cuban authorities issued a notice on Sunday saying jet fuel will not be available at the country’s airports for one month, until March 11 at the earliest, as the Trump administration increases economic pressure on the island’s third-party oil suppliers.
TRUMP DECLARES NATIONAL EMERGENCY OVER CUBA, THREATS OIL FUND TO COMMUNIST REGIME
Several airlines on Monday suspended flights to Cuba following warnings that the island is running out of jet fuel as a result of the Trump administration’s actions against countries that supply oil to the island nation. (Mike Campbell/NurPhoto/Getty/Getty Images)
On Monday, all three carriers issued similar notices canceling flights and announcing plans to operate return flights in the coming days to repatriate current Cuban customers.
“As of today it is suspending its operations to Cuba due to the ongoing shortage of jet fuel on the island,” Air Canada said. “In the following days, the airline will use empty flights to the south to pick up about 3,000 customers who are already at their destination and bring them home.”
While WestJet said it would ensure its planes carry enough fuel to “travel safely without relying on local fuel availability,” Air Canada said its homebound flights would arrive empty and make technical stops as needed to refuel on the return journey.
Air Transat added that it will suspend flights to Cuba until April 30, and refund customers whose trips have not yet started.
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Air Canada has suspended service to Cuba due to fuel shortages there. (Gary Hershorn/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Several American airlines told FOX Business that American operations on the island will continue without major disruption.
Southwest and Delta Air Lines noted that the carriers currently operate one flight per day to and from Havana.
“Due to the current fuel situation in Cuba, Southwest Airlines needs the aircraft flying to Havana to carry enough fuel to fly to its destination,” the airline said. “The airline currently operates one flight daily to Havana. Nothing is more important to Southwest than the safety of our customers and employees.”
Delta confirmed that its daily scheduled flights between Miami and Havana have not been affected by the fuel shortage, as the shorter route can be operated without carrying excess fuel.
The island’s announcement of fuel shortages comes two days after Cuban officials reported that air travel would not be affected immediately in a fuel cut announced over the weekend.
According to a Cuban news source Grito de BaireCuba’s Minister of Transport, Eduardo Rodríguez Dávila, said that international airports are operating without difficulty.
AFTER MADURO, VENEZUELA IS FACED WITH DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO REBUILD ITS CRASHED ECONOMY.
President Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on countries that supply oil to Cuba, a move aimed at increasing economic pressure on the Communist-run island. (Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images/Getty Images)
Reuters added that the Cuban Aviation Corporation issued a statement on Monday morning saying:
“We continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety, fluidity, and order of the airspace, supporting aviation operations and ensuring that air travel in Cuba maintains the reliability levels that are seen by us.”
Last month, Trump stepped up economic pressure on Cuba by declaring a national emergency through an executive order in which he accused the country’s communist regime of colluding with hostile foreign countries and terrorist groups while trying to punish its oil suppliers.
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The order of the council of Jan. 29, who called the Cuban government an “unusual and unusual threat” to the US and aims to protect the security of the US state, has crippled the energy infrastructure in Cuba by encouraging major foreign partners, such as Venezuela and Mexico, to stop shipping to the island.
“The United States will not tolerate the destruction of the communist regime in Cuba,” Trump said in the order, adding that the administration will take action to respond to the regime while supporting the aspirations of the Cuban people for a free and democratic society.
FOX Business has reached out to the White House and American Airlines for more information.
Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr and Reuters contributed to this report.
