This Thursday 5 June, the private airline company "Tortug'Air" launched its daily flights (roundtrip) between Cap-Haïtien (North of Haiti) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). The maiden flight, aboard a jet Embraer ERJ 145, with about 50 passengers departed Fort Lauderdale at 7 o'clock this morning in the direction of Cap-Haitien.

In a statement, Dale V.C. Holness, Broward County Commissioner which was part of the flight, declared "In addition to Haitian Americans, business and leisure travelers can benefit from direct flights to Cap-Haïtien and we are grateful Tortug’Air has chosen Fort Lauderdale International Airport to launch these flights [...]" adding that this flight to Cap Haitien "will benefit many of the residents of South Florida, particularly those from northern Haiti, areas such as, Port-de-Paix, Fort-Libertè, or even as far as Ganaïves, especially since there is no major airline flying directly from South Florida into Cap-Haïtien." Note that since 2003, Cap-Haïtien and Fort Lauderdale have been Sister Cities.

Since the launch of its operations in 2004, with its services to major cities in Haiti (Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haitien, Jérémie and Port-de-Paix) Tortug'Air has expanded its activities to provide scheduled international services to Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Aruba and Providenciales in Turkey and Caicos Islands and soon to Nassau.

Flights between Cap-Haitien and Fort Lauderdale are operated by Aerodynamics Inc. (ADI Charter Services). Indeed, Haiti does not meet existing U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety rules. The U.S. only allows countries with a Category One safety status to serve the US. Haiti currently has a Category Two status. The airline has to lease equipment from a Category One licensed operator.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-7590-haiti-economy-tortug-air-wants-to-fly-to-fort-lauderdale.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11167-haiti-economy-american-airlines-from-cap-haitien.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11141-haiti-economy-icao-downgrades-ofnac-sunrise-airways-collateral-victim.html

SL/ HaitiLibre