On Friday, March 28, 2025, Yves Ducarmel François, Director General of the National Airport Authority (AAN), provided an update on the situation of international airport infrastructure in Haiti during a press conference. Yves Ducarmel François clarified that Toussaint Louverture International Airport was open and received military aircraft, cargo planes and carried out charter flights to, in particular, South America, but has not had commercial flights since the decision of the American air regulator the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ban flights to the Haitian capital on November 12, 2024 after 3 planes were hit by bullets at the Port-au-Prince airport or nearby: Spirit Airlines (at least 7 impacts https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43614-haiti-flash-spirit-airlines-plane-hit-in-flight-by-several-bullets-video.html ), JetBlue (1 impact) and American Airlines (1 impact) https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-43623-icihaiti-insecurity-the-ministry-of-justice-condemns-the-shootings-on-planes.html . This ban has been extended until September 2025 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44457-haiti-flash-faa-extends-flight-ban-on-port-au-prince.html

Security has since been increased : "150 soldiers from the Haitian Armed Forces have been deployed within the internal perimeter of the Port-au-Prince airport. Work is underway to strengthen security around the airport." "Demolition work has been undertaken on the north side of the airport," explains François, adding, "As long as we don't provide the FAA with assurances that security has been strengthened in the aircraft approach areas, commercial flights will not return to Port-au-Prince..."

Even though airliners from other countries are not affected by FAA restrictions, airlines traditionally follow American decisions.

Cap-Haitien remains the alternative for commercial flights between Haiti and the rest of the world; however, Hugo Chavez Airport does not have the capacity to meet the demand.

As for Antoine Simon Airport in Les Cayes, it is not yet officially an international airport; the lengthening of the runway is a first step that has allowed it to move from category 2B to 3B. The airport can now accommodate aircraft with a maximum capacity of 80 seats. But the goal is a Category 4F airport that can accommodate larger aircraft starting in 2027. An eight-month study has been commissioned to evaluate all aspects of achieving this goal.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44457-haiti-flash-faa-extends-flight-ban-on-port-au-prince.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-43826-haiti-flash-faa-extends-restrictions-on-us-aircraft-flights-to-haiti-until-march-2025.html

HL/ HaitiLibre