Haiti: Resumption of Commercial Flights in Port-au-Prince After Suspension Due to Violence

Toussaint Loverture Airport Photo: EFE

December 20, 2024 Hour: 4:24 pm

Toussaint Louverture International Airport resumed commercial operations on December 18, 2024, after more than a month of suspension due to gang violence. The first commercial flight since the reopening was destined for Brazil.

Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé announced the resumption in a statement, highlighting that the flight “brings hope to a country that is recovering and marks a key step in the relaunch of economic activities.”

The Haitian government claims to have implemented security measures to protect strategic infrastructures, including the airport. Discussions are ongoing with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to lift the restrictions imposed on flights to Haiti.

JetBlue Airways, the only U.S. airline that directly connects Haiti with Florida and New York, announced the suspension of its flights to Haiti until the end of April 2025 due to the “ongoing unrest” in the country.

L’aéroport International Toussaint Louverture a accueilli son premier vol commercial ce mercredi depuis les événements de novembre,un avion brésilien .Le PM @citoyendidier indique que le dialogue se poursuit avec @FAANews pour la levée des restrictions sur Haïti #RFMINFO pic.twitter.com/x4mIFmH0Ds
— Radio RFM 104.9 (@MARADIOFM) December 18, 2024

The FAA extended the ban on U.S. commercial and cargo flights to Port-au-Prince until March 12, 2025, a measure implemented after an attack on commercial aircraft in November 2024 that led several airlines to suspend their services.

Currently, Hugo Chávez International Airport in Cap-Haïtien and the land border with the Dominican Republic are the only operational international access points for entering and leaving Haiti.