Haiti reopens international airport in capital

(CLO) The Haitian government on Wednesday reopened the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in the capital, which had been closed since last month, as the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) extended a ban on US airlines flying there.

The FAA announced it will extend the ban on US airlines flying into or out of the capital Port-au-Prince until March 12 next year.

A police officer stands at one of the entrances to Toussaint Louverture International Airport, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, December 11, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ralph Tedy Erol

On November 12, the FAA banned US airlines from operating in Haiti for 30 days after three commercial planes were shot down. The ban was later eased to allow pilots to fly to airports in northern Haiti such as Cap-Haitien.

Haiti's aviation authority posted a short article on Wednesday announcing that the capital's airport had resumed normal operations, and the interim government said it had increased patrols and set up checkpoints around the airport.

"This decision is part of a strategic approach to restore a safe environment and restart economic activities," the government said in a statement, hailing the move as a "turning point" for the economy.

The closure of the key transport hub, the second this year, is another blow to the Caribbean nation's economy as it grapples with a long-running gang violence that has displaced more than 700,000 people and exacerbated food shortages.

Over the weekend, a gang operating in the poor area near the Cite Soleil port ordered the massacre of about 180 elderly people. Cite Soleil is located just west of the Toussaint Louverture runway.

Other sources noted that the FAA's extension of the ban was due to security concerns, especially after attacks on commercial aircraft, and this is not the first time US airlines have had to stop flying to Haiti for this reason.

Hong Hanh (according to AFP, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/haiti-mo-cua-tro-lai-san-bay-quoc-te-o-thu-do-post325231.html