"Due to the imminent arrival of Hurricane Rafael, now of Category 1, which will directly impact the western area [of the island], it has been decided to suspend the services and operations in the airports of Gerona, Cayo Largo del Sur, Habana, and Varadero starting 12:00 a.m. today [05:00 GMT, November 6] to 12:00 p.m. on November 7 [17:00 GMT, November 7]," the ministry said in a statement.
It also apologized for the inconvenience and advised all passengers who planned trips for the period to contact travel agencies of other service providers to reschedule.
Apart from airports, several intercity bus and railroad routes as well as maritime navigation off the western coast have been suspended in Cuba.
Earlier in the day, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that the speed of the cyclone has increased, making it a Category 1 hurricane. As of 03:42 GMT, Hurricane Rafael was passing northwest through the Cayman Islands at 13 miles per hour with the maximum sustained wind speed of 80 miles per hour.