Big news is coming from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). On Wednesday, the FAA announced the extension of flight restrictions in Haitian airspace until March 12. These restrictions on U.S. aircraft are listed in a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) where it is mentioned that no flight will be operated below 10,000 feet in certain areas while flying over Haiti. These restrictions were implemented on November 11, soon after many flights by US flag carriers such as JetBlue, American Airlines, and Spirit Airlines were struck by gunfire while they were close to the Port-au-Prince airport. There were no injuries reported by American or JetBlue flights, but a few crew members of Spirit Airlines were injured during the incident.
Understanding the situation, the FAA earlier announced the restriction till Dec 12, 2024, but as per the latest update, the association has decided to keep them in place till 12th March 2025. As these were the only airlines serving the route, no flight is currently operating to Haiti due to the suspension of air connectivity.
Haiti is experiencing ongoing civil unrest and violence, due to which the U.S. State Department has issued a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" advisory since September 18th. The report warns that Port-au-Prince airport is a high-risk area for armed incidents, which include robberies and carjackings. The main targets are solo travelers, women, and drivers alone on the route. Even U.S. embassy personnel use official transportation while commuting to and from the airport to mitigate these security risks.
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