US to cease private flights for evacuating citizens from Haiti

Miami, US.– The Miami Herald reported on Sunday that the United States Department of State will cease operating charter flights from Cap Haitien to Haiti in order to facilitate the departure of its citizens from the country. The discontinuation of private flights by the US government implies that US citizens, particularly those still in Port-au-Prince, will face limited options for exiting the nation.

Thus far, the Dominican Republic has assisted in the evacuation of hundreds of US citizens by helicopter to the Dominican Republic, where they are permitted to land.

All international flights from Port-au-Prince remain suspended. Miami-based American Airlines, which operates flights between Miami and Port-au-Prince Toussaint Louverture International Airport, has halted daily service until Wednesday, April 17.

JetBlue Airways, which initially suspended flights until Friday, April 5, has extended cancellations until at least Wednesday, May 15. The airline serves routes between the Haitian capital and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

Spirit Airlines, the sole major US carrier serving both Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien, has suspended flights to both destinations until further notice. Spirit currently operates daily flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International.

Presently, the sole direct commercial connection between Haiti and South Florida is offered by Sunrise Airways, a Haitian-based airline. The airline has scheduled flights between Cap-Haitien Hugo Chávez International Airport and Miami International Airport for April 8-11 and April 13-14.

Additionally, Sunrise Airways plans to inaugurate service between Cap-Haitien and Panama, St. Maarten, and Guadeloupe’s Pointe-a-Pitre starting Monday, April 15; however, customers should verify operating hours on the airline’s website.

Both the national and international airports in Port-au-Prince, along with its primary seaport, have remained closed for over a month following attacks by a coalition of armed groups.

During one of the assaults, several Sunrise Airways planes were struck by gunfire, prompting the airline and all major US carriers to announce the suspension of commercial flights beginning Monday, March 4. Consequently, the US, Canada, and France have provided helicopters and charter flights for their citizens desiring to depart Haiti.