American Airlines had been serving Haiti for more than 50 years before halting its daily flights to Port-au-Prince, then suspending them indefinitely in December 2024. At the time, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had banned US commercial airlines from flying over the Haitian capital following a series of incidents in which planes were targeted by gang gunfire.
In 2014, the company became the first major commercial airline to serve Cap-Haïtien International Airport after a damaged runway was repaired. However, it cancelled this service six years later due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
American Airlines’ return to Cap-Haïtien comes as U.S. commercial flights to Haiti’s main airport, Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, remain suspended due to escalating gang violence in the capital. Prior to this suspension, Fort Lauderdale-based Spirit Airlines was the only major airline serving Cap-Haïtien.
Due to air traffic disruptions, Haitians are paying high prices to travel to Haiti, flying on planes operated by the Haitian company Sunrise Airways, which recently expanded its services to Boston and Newark, or via the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas.
Another airline, Zed Airlines, recently launched flights between Miami and Cap-Haïtien, carrying a group of Haitian Americans and local representatives on its inaugural flight last month; the Dominican Republic also recently reopened its airspace to allow flights to resume. In a statement, American Airlines said that Haiti represents the largest Caribbean market in terms of passenger demand that is not currently served by a U.S. airline.
The company also highlighted that South Florida is home to the largest Haitian-American community, while residents of New York and Orlando, two cities with significant Haitian communities, will also benefit from convenient connections to Cap-Haïtien. In addition to Haiti, the airline is also expanding its services to Venezuela.
American Airlines will inaugurate daily nonstop flights between Miami International Airport and Maracaibo on July 14. “We are delighted to resume American Airlines flights to Maracaibo, Venezuela, and Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, which will help reunite families, support the local economy, and strengthen the historic ties between South Florida and these vibrant communities,” said Danielle Levine Cava, Mayor of Miami-Dade County.
She added that these new routes “reinforce Miami International Airport’s role as a major international hub and demonstrate the region’s largest airline’s continued commitment to connecting our community to destinations throughout our region.” Nat Piepe, American Airlines’ chief commercial officer, stated that the airline is “dedicated to meeting the needs of travelers by offering the most flights to the most destinations in the region, of any U.S. airline.”
The airline currently serves 100 destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America, including Anguilla, Bimini (Bahamas), Ocho Rios (Jamaica), South Caicos (Turks and Caicos Islands), and Montevideo (Uruguay). “Our Miami hub is a vital gateway for customers traveling to the Caribbean and Latin America. American Airlines undoubtedly has the most extensive network connecting the region to the rest of the world,” said Juan Carlos Liscano, senior vice president of operations for American Airlines in Miami. “Today marks a significant milestone in several respects, including our return to Haiti and the increase in our flights to Venezuela, which together provide a critical connection for many travelers in Miami.”
