American Airlines suspends flights to Haiti indefinitely
MIAMI: American Airlines will no longer operate daily flights from Miami to Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince.
The news was first reported by our news colleagues at The Miami Herald.
Flights were first halted by American until February 12. It is now an indefinite suspension.
The sole daily service from Miami International Airport into Haiti by a major U.S. airline may resume in late 2025, according to a representative for the U.S.-based carrier.
This comes after gangs shot three planes in Haiti, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to ban American airlines from operating there for 30 days. Additionally, the United Nations limited the amount of humanitarian aid that could enter the nation on Tuesday by temporarily suspending flights to Port-au-Prince.
“American has made the difficult decision to suspend daily service between Miami and Port-au-Prince, Haiti,”
We take pride in our over 50-year dedication to Haiti and keep an eye on the situation while evaluating a return of service.
We will aggressively contact affected clients to provide a complete reimbursement for their trip plans to help boost tourism.
Several airlines steer clear of possible violence
Following confirmation that their aircraft were struck by gunfire in Haitian airspace in early November, a number of airlines, including American Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and Spirit Airlines, declared last month that they would no longer be operating daily flights into Haiti.
JetBlue and Spirit have not stated whether or when they plan to start operating flights to Haiti again to boost the tourism industry.
JetBlue Airways offers flights to Port-au-Prince from John F. Kennedy International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
American airlines has highly improved the tourism sector while connecting people around the world to America.
Spirit Airlines also paused its service between Fort Lauderdale and Cap-Haïtien in the north of the country.
There were no injuries among the passengers.
What does this signify for Haitians living in Haiti and the United States?
For Haitians, the prohibition on cargo and commercial planes has caused serious issues.
Armed gangs control the roadways leading into and out of the capital, and two important routes that connect Cap-Haïtien.
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 weight limit or beg for a ride on a government-leased helicopter designed to transport security forces to hot zones.
The FAA banned flights throughout Haiti. Later on, it changed its mind about not including airports outside of the capital.
Hugo Chavez International Airport, is the only other airport capable of receiving commercial international flights.
The tiny airport is now the only air bridge entering and leaving the nation. The Dominican Republic and Haiti’s airspace remains closed. Flights into the Bahamas were stopped. 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 restricted all access to other parts of Haiti, the Department of Homeland Security flew 70 deportees into Cap-Haïtien last week.
Compiled by,
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