Overview:
unrise Airways, Haiti’s nationwide service, has quickly suspended all flights between Port-au-Prince and main cities within the nation after one in all its planes was shot at at Man Malary Airport, highlighting the rising insecurity round Toussaint Louverture Worldwide Airport, the place police anti-gang operations have led to violent reprisals. The airline emphasised that passenger and workers security stays its prime precedence, providing rebookings and refunds, whereas persevering with routes to Cap-Haïtien, Jacmel, Les Cayes, Jérémie and america.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Dawn Airways, Haiti’s solely airline in operation, introduced on Sunday, Nov. 23, that every one flights between Port-au-Prince and the nation’s main cities are quickly suspended. In a press release, the airline cited safety issues and stated service would resume relying on how the state of affairs develops, in coordination with the related authorities.
The choice follows an incident that occurred the identical day, when an organization’s plane, getting ready to land at Man Malary Airport after arriving from Les Cayes, got here beneath gunfire because it was about to drop off its passengers. The plane was reportedly hit by bullets simply moments earlier than touchdown.
“Nobody can say what the meant goal was. For Dawn, the precedence stays the security of passengers, workers, and plane,” an organization communications advisor advised The Haitian Instances. He added that solely flights related to Port-au-Prince are suspended, whereas different routes stay unaffected.
“No dangers will likely be taken till circumstances are absolutely met to function safely.”
Dawn Airways firm
Up to now, the federal government has not supplied particulars concerning the capturing or confirmed whether or not passengers have been on board on the time. Authorities have but to answer Dawn’s announcement or define measures to deal with the recurring incidents.
Since Nov. 13, police have been conducting anti-gang operations in areas equivalent to Croix-des-Bouquets and Tabarre, close to Toussaint Louverture Worldwide Airport. Armed teams, having suffered heavy losses, vowed retaliation, fueling worry and sporadic gunfire across the airport.
In gentle of accelerating violence, Dawn pressured that passenger and worker security stays its highest precedence. The airline acknowledged that its business crew will attain out to vacationers with reservations to coordinate rebookings, credit or refunds in response to firm coverage.
“No dangers will likely be taken till circumstances are absolutely met to function safely,” the assertion pressured.
This isn’t the primary time plane have come beneath hearth in Port-au-Prince—comparable incidents beforehand prompted the U.S. FAA to droop business flights to Haiti. The measure, first imposed in November 2024, was thought-about for alleviating in September after an preliminary extension from March. Nonetheless, it was prolonged as soon as once more till March 7, 2026, as a consequence of worsening safety circumstances. Planes operated by JetBlue and American Airways have been additionally struck by gunfire whereas on the tarmac in Port-au-Prince.
Residents attempting to achieve Haiti’s Grand North or Grand South can not accomplish that by air. They need to journey on the nationwide highways, paying not solely the motive force but in addition gangs who’ve arrange makeshift toll stations, all whereas risking their lives. Others, hoping to go to household in provincial cities, haven’t any alternative however to journey by sea, risking their security.
A World Financial institution study revealed in April 2024, which examined the financial results of gang violence, reviewed the difficulty of unlawful toll stations. It confirmed that revenues from these actions have made gangs extremely unbiased, liberating them from reliance on political teams or actors for funding. They reportedly impose tolls starting from $192 to $231 per truck, whereas gas convoys are charged as a lot as $1,538.
In the meantime, Dawn, which primarily operates in Cap-Haïtien, introduced that it’s going to proceed to function its different routes for vacationers flying to or from southern Haiti, together with Jacmel, Les Cayes and Jérémie. Its airline service between Cap-Haïtien Hugo Chavez Worldwide Airport and the U.S. additionally stays energetic, in response to its journey updates.
Dawn Airways resumed its home flights on June 12, 2025, after signing an settlement with the Haitian authorities to revive connections between Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haïtien, Jacmel, Les Cayes and Jérémie.
As a part of this settlement, the Haitian authorities dedicated to offering an $11 million insurance coverage assure to cowl dangers associated to the nation’s extreme safety instability, together with any accident or incident straight or not directly linked to the continuing violence.