Airlines flying to Cuba have been told they won’t be able to refuel for a month after US sanctions cut off Venezuelan oil supplies to the island.

Cuba halting airline refuelling as US pressure takes toll
Aerial view of Jose Marti International Airport in Havana,
Cuba has warned airlines it is suspending jet fuel supplies for a month because of an energy crisis prompted by the US attack on Venezuela, an official at a European carrier said.

Cuba has told carriers serving the island that starting midnight on Monday into Tuesday, they cannot refuel there, the official told AFP on Sunday on condition of anonymity.

Cuba is reeling from a US-ordered halt in oil shipments from Venezuela after American troops abducted Nicolas Maduro.

Planes covering long-distance flights from Cuba will now have to stop somewhere after leaving the island to get more jet fuel, this official quoted Cuban aviation officials as saying.

Air France told AFP its planes would stop somewhere else in the Caribbean to refuel.

The Cuban government on Friday announced emergency measures to address the island’s energy crisis, including a four-day work week for state-owned companies and fuel sale restrictions.

The belt-tightening measures include a reduction in bus and train services between provinces and the closure of certain tourist establishments.

School days will also be made shorter, and universities will relax requirements on in-person attendance.