“I haven’t traveled in over a year,” James Jean-Charles shared. “The country is overrun by gangs. Traveling by road is not an option.” Despite the circumstances, the 41-year-old smiled, explaining that he was set to visit his parents and cousins in the coastal city after facing challenges staying in touch due to poor connectivity.
Inside the Guy Malary terminal designed for domestic flights, passengers congregated around a restaurant offering coffee, goat, chicken, and plantains. Garry Jean-Pierre, a computer technician, awaited the second Sunrise Airways flight of the day.
“I finally found a way to reach Cap-Haitien without losing my contracts,” he said regarding his upcoming journey.
It had been a year since his last visit, and he never considered taking the road, where gang members are notorious for randomly opening fire on vehicles. “I wouldn’t take that risk,” he stated. “You never know when they might decide to attack.”
Outside the Guy Malary terminal, the parking lot was filled with cars as workers moved luggage and men in the black market exchanged U.S. dollars for Haitian gourdes. “This is a positive development,” said taxi driver Marc Jean-Baptiste, observing the hustle and bustle. “I have struggled to provide for my family.”
He expressed hope for the timely resumption of international flights to Port-au-Prince, though that appears unlikely.
The Toussaint Louverture airport in Port-au-Prince shut down again in mid-November after gang members fired on a Spirit Airlines flight approaching to land, injuring a flight attendant with minor wounds.
Other commercial flights were also affected that day, leading Spirit, JetBlue, and American Airlines to cancel their services to Port-au-Prince. None of those flights have recommenced. While the main international airport reopened in December, commercial flights didn’t resume until Thursday.
The restart of domestic flights represents a rare victory in Haiti’s battle against gangs, which control roughly 85% of Port-au-Prince. A significant gang federation had forced the major international airport to close for nearly three months at the beginning of 2024.
(Edited by : Jerome Anthony)
