FAA extends ban on US commercial flights to Haiti's capital because of risk from gangs

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A Federal Aviation Administration ban on U.S. commercial flights to Haiti’s capital that expired Monday has been extended to March 7, 2026 because of the risk that powerful gangs might attack flights with drones and small arms.

The FAA noted that Haitian gangs now control 90% of Port-au-Prince as well as nearby strategic routes and border areas.

“Haitian (foreign terrorist organizations) maintain access to small arms and unmanned aircraft systems capable of reaching low-altitude phases of flight,” the FAA said in a statement Friday.

In May, the U.S. government designated a powerful gang coalition known as Viv Ansanm as a foreign terrorist organization.

The coalition had forced Haiti’s main international airport in Port-au-Prince to close for nearly three months last year after launching coordinated attacks on key government infrastructure.

The Toussaint Louverture International Airport reopened in May, but gang violence in the area persisted.

Last November, gangs opened fire on a Spirit Airlines flight landing in Port-au-Prince, striking a flight attendant who received minor injuries. Other commercial planes on the ground were hit at the time.

The shooting forced Haiti’s main international airport to close for the second time last year and led to a ban on U.S. commercial flights to Port-au-Prince.

The airport reopened in December, but it wasn’t until June that the first commercial domestic flights resumed.

No international commercial flights have resumed.