Written by Jacqueline Charles
Miami Tribune/Herald News Service
As of early February, American Airlines will no longer provide daily flights from Miami to Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince.
According to a representative for the American airline, the Miami Herald will assess if a major U.S. airline could resume its daily service into Haiti from Miami International Airport in late 2025.
According to the spokeswoman, American has made the tough choice to stop daily service between Miami (MIA) and Port-au-Prince, Haiti (PAP). We take pride in our over 50-year commitment to Haiti, and we will keep an eye on the situation while contemplating a return of service by analyzing safety, security, and customer demand. In order to provide affected customers with a complete reimbursement of their travel schedule, we will actively contact them.
Following claims that a gang boss had slaughtered scores of people the previous day in the capital’s Wharf Jeremie area, police and human rights activists were battling a fresh killing rampage on Sunday.
Following confirmation that their aircraft was struck by gang gunfire on November 11 over the airspace in Port-au-Prince, American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and Spirit Airlines all stated last month that they were stopping their daily flights into Haiti. Spirit Airlines also halted its service between Fort Lauderdale and Cap-Hatien in the north of the country, as it was approaching Toussaint Louverture International Airport with passengers when the bullets hit. Although there were no injuries to passengers, a flight attendant did sustain minor wounds.
The airline stated that the suspension was pending additional assessment. JetBlue Airways and Spirit have not stated whether or when they plan to start operating flights to Haiti again. JetBlue Airways offers flights to Port-au-Prince from John F. Kennedy International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
A representative for American Airlines told the Herald, “We will keep an eye on the situation and consider a return of service for late 2025.”
The Federal Aviation Administration banned all U.S. carriers with U.S. licenses from visiting Haiti for 30 days following the incident. Although it is uncertain if the ban will be extended, it is expected to expire this week.
Before the FAA’s prohibition, the Haitian government had shut down the country’s international and domestic airports in Port-au-Prince in response to the gang attack. They are still closed, but according to insiders, the administration is thinking about reopening them as soon as this week.
Haitians are suffering greatly as a result of the prohibition on American commercial and freight flights. Armed gangs control the roadways leading into and out of the capital, and two important routes that connect Cap-Hatien and the capital were buried under mudslides due to last week’s intense rains. Those who have managed to leave the capital have had to pay $2,500 for a ride on a privately leased chopper with a 20-pound rucksack limit or beg for a ride on a government-leased helicopter designed to transport security forces to hot zones.
The FAA changed its decision to exclude airports outside of the capital after first banning all of Haiti’s airports. This included Hugo Chavez foreign Airport in the northern city of Cap-Hatien, the only other airport capable of receiving commercial foreign flights. Since the Bahamas has suspended its airline service into the country and the airspace between the country and the Dominican Republic is still closed, the little airport is currently the only way to enter and exit the country. Currently, Sunrise Airways, which is operated by Haiti, has the only direct connection to the United States.
It hasn’t stopped the United States from sending Haitians back to their homeland, though. Despite days of severe rains that left the city flooded and all access to other parts of Haiti shut, the Department of Homeland Security flew 70 deportees into Cap-Hatien last week.
This is the second time this year that Haiti’s main international airport has had to close due to armed gang violence. The harbor and airport were shut down for two months in early March after gangs orchestrated synchronized operations to overthrow the government.
In order to rebuild airline and passenger confidence, the U.S. government helped to demolish houses around the airport’s perimeter and brought in supplies to build a base for the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support mission. Eventually, the airport was reopened.
This time, while foreign soldiers were in the nation, the shutdown and attacks took place.
Due to violent gang violence in Haiti, major airlines have reduced daily operations and flights to the country over the years. In addition to service from Fort Lauderdale and New York, American used to operate multiple daily flights from Miami. Additionally, it used a 737 Max to fly into Cap-Hatien before limiting its service to a single daily flight.
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