FAA extends flight ban to Port-au-Prince amid ongoing gang violence

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FAA extends flight ban to Port-au-Prince amid ongoing gang violence

Policy

US Federal Aviation Administration | Official Website

By Sky Industry News

Mar 18, 2025

On Tuesday, March 12, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the extension of a ban on US flights to Port-au-Prince through September 8. This decision is driven by ongoing security concerns in and around the Haitian capital due to armed gang violence.

In November 2024, the FAA implemented a temporary 30-day pause on all flights to Haiti after three US-registered aircraft, including JetBlue and Spirit Airlines flights, were struck by gunfire while landing at Port-au-Prince Toussaint Louverture International Airport. On December 11, this ban was extended until March 12, 2025, allowing service to other Haitian cities such as Cap-Haïtien.

The restriction for Port-au-Prince has now been extended to September 8 (Photo: Estailove ST-VAL / AFP), with the FAA citing "...ongoing instability... " caused by armed gangs as a serious threat to aircraft flying into Haiti's primary international airport. The presence of "...small arms, including high-caliber rifles and machine guns... " poses risks primarily during low-altitude flight operations and approach/departure phases.

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Despite these threats, US flights bound for Haiti are still permitted to transit over Port-au-Prince at altitudes of 10,000 feet or more.

Currently, Cap Haïtien International Airport serves as an alternative gateway (Photo: BriYYZ via Wikimedia Commons). Sunrise Airways operates daily flights to Miami and is scheduled to begin service to Fort Lauderdale starting March 17 with Airbus A320 and Boeing 737-400 aircraft. The airline also plans flights to other Caribbean and Latin American destinations such as Panama City, Antigua, and Point-a-Pitre using Embraer E145 and Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia planes.

Bahamasair flies its Boeing (Photo: JetBlue) 737-700 aircraft from Nassau to Cap- Haïtien on a semi-regular basis. Les Cayes Airport also sees commercial service with BAE Jetstream (Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock)32 aircraft connecting it reliably with Cap- Haïtien despite its shorter runway length.

Since (Photo: JetBlue)2020(Photo: Estailove ST-VAL / AFP), gang violence has escalated in Haiti. In July (Photo: BriYYZ via Wikimedia Commons) 2021 President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated by foreign mercenaries involved in a plot featuring "elite Haitian police officers." Then in (Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock)2023 elections were not held leaving no democratically elected officials in power.

As a result,(Photo: JetBlue) gang control over Port-au-Prince has increased significantly with up Photo: Estailove ST-VAL / AFP)to(Photo: BriYYZ via Wikimedia Commons)90% of the capital now under gang rule rather than government control( Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock).

Until November(Photo: JetBlue)2024 U.S.(Photo: Estailove ST-VAL / AFP) airlines continued flying into Port-au-Prince despite( Photo: BriYYZ via Wikimedia Commons)security risks however most carriers including American Airlines and jetBlue avoided( Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock)crew layovers within country limits except for rare instances..