MIAMI – American Airlines no longer resumes its daily service from Miami to Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince. American had initially suspended flights until February 12. The suspension is now indefinite.
A spokesman for the US-based carrier said it will evaluate a possible resumption in late 2025 of the only daily service from Miami International Airport to Haiti by a major US airline.
This comes after The Federal Aviation Administration US banned airlines to fly to Haiti for 30 days afterwards gangs shot down three planes. In addition, the United Nations temporarily suspended flights to Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, limiting the flow of humanitarian aid into the country.
American Airlines’ statement read in part: “American has made the difficult decision to suspend daily service between Miami (MIA) and Port-au-Prince, Haiti (PAP),” the spokesperson said. “We are proud of our more than 50-year commitment to Haiti and will continue to monitor the situation, assessing safety, security and customer demand, when assessing the return of service. We will proactively reach out with affected customers to offer them a full refund of their travel itinerary.”
Several airlines avoiding potential violence
Last month, several airlines, including American Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines – announced the suspension of daily flights to Haiti after it was confirmed that its planes were hit by gunfire while in Haitian airspace in early November.
Neither Spirit nor JetBlue have said if and when they will resume flights to Haiti.
JetBlue Airways operates from both Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport to Port-au-Prince.
Spirit Airlines, which was approaching Toussaint Louverture International Airport with passengers when the bullets fell, also suspended service between Fort Lauderdale and Cap-Haïtien in the north of the country.
No passengers were injured.
What does this mean for Haitians in the US and Haiti?
The ban on commercial and cargo flights has created serious problems for Haitians. Roads in and out of the capital are controlled by armed gangs, and mudslides last week buried two major roads connecting Cap-Haïtien and the capital.
Those who left the capital have had to request a ride on a government-chartered helicopter meant to ferry security forces to hot spots or pay $2,500 for a ride on a privately chartered helicopter with a weight limit of 20 pounds. .
The FAA initially placed all of Haiti under a no-fly zone. It subsequently modified its decision to exclude airports outside the capital.
The only other airport that can receive commercial international flights, Hugo Chávez International Airport, is located in the northern city of Cap-Haïtien.
Today, the small airport serves as the only air bridge in and out of the country. The airspace between Haiti and the Dominican Republic remains closed. The Bahamas suspended flights to the country. Currently, the only direct service to the US is via Haitian-owned Sunrise Airways.
Despite this, it has not stopped the United States deport Haitians back to the country. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security moved 70 deportees to Cap-Haiti despite days of heavy rain that had left the city flooded and all access outside the city to other parts of Haiti blocked.