Haiti sees first domestic flight in seven months take off from Port-au-Prince

Haiti’s first domestic flight in seven months took off Thursday from the nation’s capital, as excited passengers prepared to reunite with friends, relatives, and business associates in the northern city of Cap-Haitien.

The Sunrise Airways flight, carrying 19 passengers, also marked the first time any commercial flight departed from Port-au-Prince since gang violence grounded operations in November. Outside the Guy Malary terminal, the parking lot was filled with cars as workers transported luggage and men involved in the black market exchanged U.S. dollars for Haitian gourdes.

The Toussaint Louverture airport in Port-au-Prince closed in mid-November for the second time last year after gangs opened fire on a Spirit Airlines flight as it was preparing to land, leaving a flight attendant with minor injuries.

Other commercial planes were attacked that day, prompting Spirit, JetBlue, and American Airlines to cancel flights to Port-au-Prince.

None of those flights have resumed.

Although the airport reopened in December, commercial flights did not resume until Thursday. The reopening marks a rare success in Haiti’s struggle against gangs that control at least 85% of Port-au-Prince.

A powerful gang federation previously forced the main international airport to shut down for nearly three months in early 2024.