Haiti.- Foreigners stranded in Haiti, along with Haitian nationals, now have a new avenue for travel, albeit with certain conditions. They can opt to travel to Cap-Haïtien, a city situated north of Port-au-Prince, to access flights.
Sunrise Airways, a Haitian airline that initiated flights to Miami International Airport in October, has announced plans to operate flights three times a week from Cap-Haïtien’s Hugo Chávez International Airport (CAP) to Miami, starting from Monday onwards.
According to spokeswoman Stéphanie Armand, the airline has confirmed flights to Miami International Airport (MIA) on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Additionally, the company will inaugurate a daily flight service between Les Cayes, in southern Haiti, and Cap-Haïtien, commencing from Monday.
Before violence necessitated the suspension of domestic and international flights in Haiti, Sunrise Airways operated daily domestic flights across the country. The airline also ran flights between MIA and Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP) in Port-au-Prince on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, as well as flights between Miami and Cap-Haïtien on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Cap-Haïtien, Haiti’s second-largest city, has maintained relative calm compared to Port-au-Prince, where armed gangs have unleashed violent attacks on neighborhoods, police stations, and government facilities, effectively trapping around three million people.
Ticket prices for the Miami-bound flights range from $948.99 to $979 for one-way travel, as per information provided by the Miami Herald. Tickets can be purchased through sunriseairways.net.
Following the cancellation of commercial flights to and from Haiti due to armed gang attacks at the Port-au-Prince international airport, passengers left stranded can now consider the option provided by Sunrise Airways. The situation has left many passengers, including those with American permanent resident cards, commonly known as green cards, with limited means of leaving Haiti.
US Government evacuates its citizens from Haiti
In response to the crisis, the US government has initiated evacuation flights, including using the Cap-Haïtien international airport for the first time last Sunday. Additionally, the US Department of State (DOS) has begun chartering helicopter flights to transport US citizens from Port-au-Prince to Santo Domingo, in the neighboring Dominican Republic. However, these flights are exclusive to US citizens, leaving others with few alternatives.
The resumption of international flights from Cap-Haïtien comes amid ongoing gang violence in Port-au-Prince and efforts to establish a transitional presidential council through negotiations between the Caribbean Community and the United States.
Source: Elnuevoherald.com