U.S. Government’s Charter Flights Out of Haiti to End Soon
BY JACQUELINE CHARLES AND MICHAEL WILNER UPDATED APRIL 06, 2024 3:10 PM
If you’re a U.S. citizen in Haiti and still looking to escape the violence in Port-au-Prince, there are only a
few days left to do so with assistance from the U.S. government.
Potential travelers in Haiti have been notified that U.S. government charter flights are not expected to
continue after Friday, April 12, the State Department said.
The end of the U.S. government flights means American citizens, especially those still in Port-au-Prince,
will have limited options for leaving the country. All international flights out of Port-au-Prince remain
canceled.
Miami-based American Airlines, which flies between Miami and Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint Louverture
International Airport, has suspended its daily service through Wednesday, April 17.
JetBlue Airways, which last week had suspended flights through Friday, April 5, now says that
cancellations will continue through at least Wednesday, May 15. The airline flies between the Haitian
capital and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in
New York.
Spirit Airlines, the only major U.S. carrier that flies into both Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien, has
suspended flights into both airports until further notice. Spirit operates daily service out of Fort
Lauderdale-Hollywood International.
For now, the only direct commercial connection between Haiti and South Florida is onboard Sunrise
Airways, a Haiti-based airline. The airline has flights between Cap-Haitien’s Hugo Chavez International
Airport and Miami International Airport scheduled for April 8-11 and April 13-14. The carrier is also
looking to start service between Cap-Haitien and Panama, St. Maarten and Guadeloupe’s Pointe-a-Pitre
as of Monday, April 15, however, customers should check the website for the schedule.
Both Port-au-Prince’s international and domestic airports have been closed for more than a month,
along with its main seaport, following attacks by an alliance of armed groups. During one of the attacks,
several airplanes belonging to Sunrise Airways were struck by bullets, leaving the carrier and all of the
major U.S. carriers to announce a cancellation of commercial flights as of Monday, March 4.
As a result, the U.S., Canada and France have put up helicopters and charter flights at the disposal of
their nationals seeking to leave Haiti.
So far, more than 300 U.S. citizens have taken advantage of the flights. Some individuals were
transported on helicopters to the neighboring Dominican Republic, while others were taken to the
northern port city of Cap-Haitien, where they then boarded the U.S. government charter after signing a
promissory note to pay.
In a message sent out this week by the U.S. embassy to Americans still in Haiti, potential travelers were
informed that the helicopter flights are offered when the security situation permits it. Because flights
may not always be available on the same day, travelers should be prepared to arrange their own lodging
in Cap-Haitien.
Haitian authorities have not said when they expect the capital’s airports to be operational. Both are
currently being secured by the Haiti National Police and soldiers with the Armed Forces of Haiti, who,
working together, have managed to repel attacks. However, the situation remains tense.
In the last week, armed groups have continued to loot and burn both public and private infrastructure
and target critical infrastructure like police stations and the National Palace.
In its latest update, the United Nations warned that the humanitarian situation continues to worsen.
Ambulances and workers with the National Ambulance Center are still unable to access gang-controlled
areas, and gunfire in the Champ-de-Mars, located across from the palace, and in the Delmas
neighborhood has disrupted mobile clinics, the U.N. said. The global body also reported that suspected
cases of cholera, the deadly waterborne disease, is now being reported in all of Haiti’s regional
departments, with some communities reporting active outbreaks.
Late Friday, members of a presidential council charged with creating a path forward out of the crisis said
that they had finalized a political agreement among their seven voting members and two observers. The
document, once signed, is expected to be sent to the Caribbean Community, which will then transmit it
to outgoing Prime Minister Ariel Henry so that his council of ministers can sign, and the council can be
formed.
Henry, who was forced to resign by Washington amid the turmoil, has said he will step aside once the
council has been installed.