Sunrise Airways halts all Port-au-Prince, Haiti, flights

Sunrise Airways has suspended all flights to and from Port-au-Prince “until further notice,” citing security concerns as violence around Haiti’s capital continues to escalate.

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“For strictly security reasons, Sunrise Airways informs the public of the immediate suspension of all flights arriving in and departing from Port-au-Prince until further notice,” the airline said in a statement. “This decision was taken to protect our passengers, crew, and operations, given the current security situation.”

While the carrier did not specify what prompted the shutdown, local media reports indicate that one of its aircraft was hit by gunfire Sunday while landing at the Guy Malary terminal of Toussaint Louverture International Airport. The flight from Les Cayes was struck during its final descent, according to the Miami Herald. No injuries were reported, but the incident led the airline to immediately halt all operations to and from the capital.

Sunrise Airways said passengers on affected flights will be contacted to arrange rescheduling, credits or refunds. “The safety of passengers and employees remains the airline’s top priority,” the carrier said, adding that no operations will resume “until conditions are fully met to operate with complete peace of mind.”

The suspension underscores the continued deterioration of security in Port-au-Prince, where armed groups have seized control of large parts of the city. The United Nations warned in July that gangs have assumed “near-total control” of the capital amid the power vacuum left by the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

This latest aircraft strike echoes an incident in November 2024, when a Spirit Airlines Airbus A321 was hit by gunfire during an attempted landing at Toussaint Louverture International, injuring a flight attendant. The aircraft was forced to divert to the Dominican Republic, prompting Haitian authorities to briefly shut down the airport.

Following that event, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a NOTAM barring American commercial flights from operating over Haiti below 10,000 feet, warning that gunfire and gang activity posed a serious threat to low-altitude operations around Port-au-Prince. The FAA said gangs had attempted to breach airport perimeters and that “several aircraft were struck by small arms fire.”

In September, the FAA extended the restriction through March 2026, citing continued risks from gunfire and gang-operated drones.

Sunrise Airways said it is “closely monitoring the situation in collaboration with the relevant authorities,” and will resume service once conditions allow.