After assassination of Haiti’s president, U.S. airlines cancel South Florida flights
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Several South Florida flights that were set to arrive in or depart from Haiti were canceled Wednesday following the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.
Toussaint Louverture International Airport, Haiti’s main airport near Port-au-Prince, will only accept diplomatic and humanitarian flights until further notice, Airport Director General Irving Mehu announced Wednesday.
American Airlines services flights between Miami International Airport and Toussaint Louverture airport. The airline said it decided to cancel its operations in Haiti for the day and will continue to evaluate the situation.
At least three Miami flights were canceled, according to online flight trackers.
The closure also affected flights at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which offers nonstop flights through American Airlines, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines to Toussaint Louverture International Airport and Cap-Haïtien International Airport.
Spirit Airlines told the Miami Herald it canceled all of its flights to and from Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien Wednesday. The airline said it will continue to monitor the Haitian government’s decision to close airports and will update passengers as needed.
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“We are saddened by news of President Moïse’s death and extend our condolences to the many guests we serve in Haiti, along with the rest of the country,” the airline said in a statement.
JetBlue also suspended operations in Haiti until further notice and said it will work with affected customers as it monitors events. As of 2:40 p.m. Wednesday, at least one American Airlines flight, one JetBlue flight and one Spirit Airlines flight were canceled, according to FLL’s online flight tracker.
The U.S. Embassy in Haiti also closed Wednesday, citing an “ongoing” security situation and asked U.S. citizens to avoid unnecessary travel at this time. It’s recommending travelers avoid demonstrations and crowds, monitor news media for developments and create evacuation plans to leave the country that do not rely on U.S. government assistance.
The U.S. Department of State already had Haiti under a Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory, citing widespread kidnapping, crime, civil unrest and COVID-19 spread.
Miami Herald staff writer Jacqueline Charles contributed to this report.
