TORONTO — Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat are bringing thousands of Canadian travellers back from Cuba.

Announced yesterday – first by Air Canada, and then WestJet Group followed by Air Transat last night – the repatriation flights come as travel advisors work overtime to help clients in-destination and with now-cancelled bookings.

AIR CANADA

Air Canada has cancelled its seasonal flights to Holguin and Santa Clara for the rest of the season – and has temporarily suspended its flights to Varadero and Cayo Coco until at least May 1 – in the wake of Cuba’s warning that nine major airports on the island will no longer have enough fuel to refuel international aircraft, and the Canadian government’s heightened travel advice for Cuba.

As reported yesterday, Cuba’s biggest airport, José Martí International Airport in Havana, issued the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) for key gateways including Havana, Holguin, Varadero, Santiago de Cuba and more, and will be in effect from Feb. 10 to March 11.

Over the next several days Air Canada will operate empty flights southbound to pick up customers already at destination and return them home.

For remaining flights, Air Canada says it will tanker in extra fuel and make a technical stops as necessary to refuel on the return journey if necessary.

Air Canada currently has approximately 3,000 customers in Cuba, most on ACV packages.

Air Canada has a flexible rebooking policy for customers travelling to Cuba, and ACV has a refund policy. ACV’s refund information page can be found here.

WESTJET GROUP

WestJet Group’s wind down of its winter operations to Cuba includes WestJet, Sunwing Vacations, WestJet Vacations and Vacances WestJet Quebec.

WestJet Group has suspended bookings to Cuba and will leverage aircraft departing for Cuba to bring passengers currently vacationing in destination back home. The company will operate departures from Canada with empty aircraft to support the organized return of guests currently vacationing in Cuba. All aircraft dispatched to Cuba will carry sufficient fuel to safely depart without reliance on local fuel availability.

Impacted guests will receive communication with options, including refunds or flexible changes.

More details and a full FAQ from WestJet Group can be found here.

AIR TRANSAT 

Air Transat soon followed suit, suspending its Cuba service until April 30.

Transat spokesperson Marie-Eve Vallières told Travelweek the company  currently has a total of 6,563 passengers in Cuba (ABC & ITC).

Air Transat will cancel and refund customers whose trip has not yet begun to their original method of payment.

Air Transat is also setting up repatriation flights, to get passengers back to Canada.

“Air Transat will contact all affected customers directly. We understand how important your travel plans are and sincerely apologize for this disruption,” said the airline.

Transat’s refund policy for Cuba can be found here.

TICO

In a message for TICO-registered travel agencies, TICO CEO Richard Smart said “we recognize and acknowledge the value and expertise of travel advisors in helping their customers navigate consumer protection information.”

For TICO’s latest guidance in the wake of the Cuba cancellations, click here.