FAA extends ban on US flights to Port-au-Prince until March 2026

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Friday that it is extending restrictions banning flights from the United States to Port-au-Prince until March 7, 2026, citing threats posed by armed groups to civil aviation in the Haitian capital.

The move keeps Haiti’s main city cut off from U.S. carriers for another year, forcing travelers to rely on costly detours through regional airports or neighboring countries.

The FAA first imposed the ban in November 2024 after gunfire struck three U.S. planes attempting to land in Port-au-Prince. While flights later resumed to Cap-Haïtien and five other Haitian airports, the capital has remained off-limits. Authorities say armed groups now control nearly 90 percent of Port-au-Prince and surrounding roads, making conditions too dangerous for commercial carriers.

Since the ban, major U.S. airlines including American, Spirit and JetBlue have suspended flights indefinitely. The restrictions leave Cap-Haïtien Hugo Chávez International Airport and Antoine Simon Les Cayes International Airport as the only direct commercial gateways from the United States, operated by Sunrise Airways and smaller carriers. However, these routes cannot replace the passenger volume normally handled by Toussaint Louverture International Airport, the country’s busiest hub serving millions for business, family travel, and medical purposes.

Diplomatic efforts to reopen the capital’s airport have made little progress. Earlier this year, U.S. Ambassador to Haiti Dennis Hankins met with Reginald Guignard, director of the National Civil Aviation Office, to discuss securing the perimeter. For now, the airport remains open only to military and diplomatic flights, including those tied to the Kenyan-led multinational mission preparing to deploy against Haitian armed groups.