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JetBlue Airways has announced it will extend its suspension of flights to Haiti’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince until at least June 11, 2025. The airline cited continued security concerns as the reason for the extension, leaving Haiti without direct U.S. commercial flights from South Florida and New York.
This decision follows a broader flight ban issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after criminal gangs fired at three U.S. jetliners in Port-au-Prince on November 11, 2023. While no passengers were injured, a Spirit Airlines flight attendant was hurt in the incident.
JetBlue was one of three major U.S. airlines providing daily flights to Haiti before security concerns forced widespread suspensions.
American Airlines indefinitely halted its Miami-Port-au-Prince service, while Spirit Airlines suspended all flights to Haiti, including its routes to Cap-Haïtien’s Hugo Chávez International Airport. Spirit is reportedly considering restarting its Cap-Haïtien flights, pending a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) safety evaluation.
For now, Sunrise Airways remains the only airline connecting Haiti with Miami. Limited flights also operate between Haiti and The Bahamas, as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Les Cayes’ airport, which now has an extended 5,905-foot runway, is expected to serve as an alternative for humanitarian flights and commercial carriers looking for safer entry points into the country. Haitian officials also recently upgraded the airport in Jacmel in anticipation of future international arrivals.
Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Dennis Hankins met with Réginald Guignard, the new director of Haiti’s airport authority, to discuss ongoing efforts to secure the perimeter of Toussaint Louverture International Airport. Strengthening airport security remains a top priority for the resumption of commercial flights in Port-au-Prince.
While Haitian authorities work to reopen alternative airports, the return of major U.S. carriers remains uncertain. The FAA’s flight restrictions are set to expire on March 12, but with JetBlue’s extension and American Airlines’ indefinite suspension, a full recovery of air travel remains unlikely in the short term.
