The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that it will extend flight restrictions on U. S. airlines operating in Haitian airspace until at least March 12, 2025. This latest extension of the ban on flights was announced on December 11, 2024. The extension comes after an ongoing series of violent events at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince. Flights there were restricted for most of November to commercial flights because of an increase in gang violence.
In November, a number of commercial aircraft, including those operated by Spirit Airlines, JetBlue and American Airlines were hit by gunfire as they were getting ready to land at the airport. The additional flight limitations were implemented immediately after that. There were no fatalities but the attacks raised significant safety issues and following the injury of a flight attendant aboard a Spirit Airlines aircraft, the FAA initially banned U. S. airlines from flying to Haiti for 30 days. This restriction has since been extended.
Haiti’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince officially reopened for commercial flights on December 11th, but the country’s transportation and travel sectors have been severely disrupted by violence in the capital. The airport was closed for about a month.