Cubana (CU, Havana International) has cancelled its route to Argentina following an “abrupt refusal of aviation fuel suppliers,” like Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales, to provide services to the carrier, it announced.
The state-owned airline said it had been forced to cancel the flights CU360 between Havana International and Buenos Aires Ministro Pistarini and CU361 from Buenos Aires to Cayo Coco, the country's foreign ministry confirmed to Reuters in a statement. According to Cubana, the fuel suppliers had invoked a trade embargo the United States imposed against the Cuban regime led by Miguel Díaz-Canel.
“Likewise, this refusal has been extended to other airlines contracted by Cubana de Aviación in order to provide due protection and transfer the affected passengers, thus preventing the airline from fulfilling its commitments to them,” the carrier said.
"As a result, Cubana de Aviación has been forced to suspend regular flights between Cuba and Argentina, which had been maintained for 39 years," said the foreign ministry.
Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows that flights CU360 and CU361 were last operated on March 26 and 27, 2024, when the airline deployed A340-300 EC-MQM (msn 399), wet-leased from Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas (PU, Madrid Barajas).
Simultaneously, the government of Argentina, led by president Javier Milei, has been at odds with Venezuela over its participation in dismantling a former Emtrasur Cargo B747-300M, which was seized in Buenos Aires and delivered to the United States Department of Justice earlier this year. In retaliation, Venezuela banned all Argentinian-registered aircraft from its airspace.
Editorial Comment: Updated to include the confirmation from Cuba's foreign ministry that the route has been canceled. - 03May2024 - 18:35 UTC