TORONTO — Air Transat and Intrepid Travel are changing their Cuba plans amid deteriorating conditions in the destination.
This week’s island-wide blackout is the latest of many blackouts, as well as fuel and supply shortages. U.S. sanctions on Venezuela included a stop to vital oil exports to Cuba and the U.S. administration in January warned of tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba.
The Trump administration is looking for President Miguel Díaz-Canel to leave as the U.S. continues negotiating with the Cuban government, according to a U.S. official and a source with knowledge of talks between Washington and Havana.
Trump has ramped up “takeover” talks in recent days, while according to CNN, President Díaz-Canel said any attempt by the U.S. to takeover the island would be met with “impregnable resistance.”
A Cuban official said that Cuba is open to trading with U.S. companies. “What they announced … is not dramatic enough. It’s not going to fix it,” said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Cuba produces 40% of its petroleum and has been generating its own power, however it hasn’t been sufficient to meet demand as its aging electric grid continues to crumble. Electricity was slowly being restored to hospitals and some homes, but officials warned that the crumbling power network could fail again. State-owned media reported that by late Monday power had been restored to 5% of residents in the capital, Havana, representing some 42,000 customers.
AIR TRANSAT EYES JUNE 20 RESTART
Originally suspending Cuba operations until April 30, Air Transat has now extended that date, with the resumption of flights now planned for June 20.
Air Transat says it is also reducing its Cuba capacity for the summer season, as a precautionary measure.
“We will contact customers whose travel plans are affected directly to present the options available to them. We regret any inconvenience caused and thank our customers for their understanding. We will continue to closely monitor the situation and will communicate any relevant updates as soon as possible,” said the airline in its update.
Air Transat along with Air Canada and WestJet repatriated thousands of Canadian travellers back from Cuba in early February. WestJet, WestJet Vacations and Sunwing Vacations have so far suspended their Cuba operations through April 25. Air Canada has postponed its resumption of Cuba flights until Nov. 1.
INTREPID CANCELS CUBA TRIPS THROUGH APRIL 30
Meanwhile Intrepid Travel is cancelling all of its upcoming trips to Cuba through the end of April.
An update on the company’s Travel Alerts page says, “Cuba is currently facing repeated nationwide power outages, including the March 16 island-wide blackout that left roughly 10 million people without electricity. Fuel shortages in Cuba have not improved, and it is unclear what impact current global fuel constraints might have in the coming weeks.”
Intrepid says travellers currently in Cuba can safely continue and complete their itineraries as planned, however all future departures to Cuba up to and including April 30 have been cancelled.
The latest updates will continue to be posted on Intrepid Travel’s Travel Alerts page, and the situation will be closely monitored.
“This decision was not made lightly,” said Leigh Barnes, President of the Americas, Intrepid Travel. “We know this has a real impact on the local workers and families whose livelihoods are tied to tourism, and our thoughts are with them. We remain committed to supporting our partners and returning as soon as conditions become stable.”
Barnes said decisions regarding departures beyond April 2026 will be made in the coming weeks.
Intrepid also posted updated booking terms for cancelled Cuba trips. If a trip is cancelled, travellers can choose from the following options: rebook to another destination; receive credit toward the value of the trip for future travel; or request a refund. All affected customers will be contacted by their booking agent or directly by Intrepid Travel.
With file from The Associated Press
