On November 15, 2026, new regional aviation developments emerged as American Airlines officially resumed its daily non-stop commercial flight route connecting Miami International Airport to Cap-Haïtien, the second-largest city in northern Haiti, even as the U.S. State Department maintains its strict Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for the entire Caribbean nation. The new service made its inaugural landing at Cap-Haïtien International Airport on November 1, 2026, marking the first major U.S. carrier to restore regular scheduled operations to Haiti since widespread gang violence disrupted all air access to the capital Port-au-Prince in late 2024.
In an official statement shared with CBC News, American Airlines representatives noted the carrier’s enthusiasm to re-establish its footprint in Haiti after a two-year operational pause, following comprehensive reviews of on-ground security protocols, operational feasibility, and long-term commercial viability. The flight route is structured so that no cockpit or cabin crew members are required to stay overnight in Haiti, a safety measure that the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA confirmed it had been fully briefed on and coordinated with the airline prior to launch.
The U.S. State Department, which has banned all U.S. commercial aircraft from landing at Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport since November 2024 after armed gangs opened fire on multiple incoming passenger jets including an American Airlines flight, has extended that no-fly restriction for the capital through 2027. Rival U.S. carrier JetBlue permanently suspended all Haiti service in 2024 after one of its own aircraft sustained bullet damage on the tarmac, and reaffirmed in July 2026 that it has no timeline to re-enter the Haitian market.
Both the U.S. and Canadian federal governments continue to urge all their citizens to avoid any and all travel to Haiti, citing pervasive violent crime, a nationwide state of emergency, rampant kidnappings for ransom, and widespread civil unrest across large swathes of the country. Despite the resumption of the Cap-Haïtien route, the U.S. State Department explicitly clarified that its longstanding travel warning remains fully in effect, noting that the Trump administration’s top priority continues to be the safety and security of all U.S. nationals both at home and abroad.
Wolf Pamphile, founder of Washington D.C.-based Haiti policy think tank Haiti Policy House, explained that Cap-Haïtien has evolved into the de facto primary international aviation hub for Haiti in recent years, with a local security environment that is drastically more stable and distinct from the chaotic, gang-controlled conditions that have paralyzed Port-au-Prince. He added that the reintroduction of American Airlines’ reliable, full-service operations fills a critical gap in the current Haitian travel ecosystem, which has long suffered from a lack of consistent, high-quality commercial air connectivity for both Haitian diaspora travelers and essential aid delivery teams.
American Airlines Resumes Daily Flights to Haiti’s Cap-Haïtien Despite U.S. “Do Not Travel” Warning
