Fatshimetrie is pleased to announce the reopening of the Port-au-Prince international airport, marking a new chapter in Haiti’s turbulent history. After nearly three months of closure due to incessant violence perpetrated by gangs, this event raises both hope and apprehension among the Haitian population.
Toussaint-Louverture Airport is back operational, providing a crucial access route for the delivery of medicines and other essential supplies to the country, while the main port remains paralyzed. However, at the moment only local airline Sunrise Airways operates flights to and from Port-au-Prince. U.S.-based airlines are not expected to resume operations until late May or early June.
The first scheduled flight was a Sunrise Airways flight to Miami, scheduled to depart at 2:30 p.m. local time. Before the airport reopened, the only operating airport in Haiti was in the coastal city of Cap-Haitien, but many Port-au-Prince residents were unable to get there due to the control exercised by gangs on the roads connecting the two cities.
Following violent attacks by armed gangs, the security situation has deteriorated considerably in Port-au-Prince, forcing many people to flee the capital. Aid organizations and the US government were forced to evacuate hundreds of US nationals by helicopter as gangs laid siege to parts of the city.
The series of attacks initiated on February 29 has sparked an unprecedented wave of violence in Haiti, with attacks on once peaceful neighborhoods leaving thousands of people homeless. According to the United Nations, more than 2,500 people were killed or injured in Haiti between January and March, an increase of more than 50% compared to the same period the previous year.
The airport is an iconic place, a symbol of resilience in the face of adversity. Klav-Dja Raphael, manager of the Couronne Bar near the only boarding gate operating that day, greets his first customers with a mixture of joy and apprehension. Immigration employees, for their part, are smiling again, happy to return to work after this long period of uncertainty.
Eager passengers crowd the Sunrise Airways counter, some taking selfies, others chatting enthusiastically. Among them, Darling Antoine, with wet eyes, prepares to leave Haiti for the United States, with a mixture of relief and sadness. Others, like Jean Doovenskey, express hope for a better future for Haiti, despite the challenges the country faces.
The attack on the airport had political repercussions, leading to the resignation of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry and the establishment of a transitional presidential council tasked with forming a new government and holding general elections. Amid growing violence, countries like Kenya have offered assistance, as the international community mobilizes to support Haiti in this tumultuous time.
This reopening of the Port-au-Prince airport marks a new beginning for the country, symbolizing both the challenges to be met and the hopes to be nurtured. As planes resume flights over the Haitian capital, it is a poignant reminder of the resilience and determination of the Haitian people in the face of adversity.