On September 5, 2025, the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the extension of its ban on U.S. commercial flights to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, a decision that underscores the deepening security crisis gripping the Caribbean nation. The ban, which had been set to expire on September 8, 2025, will now remain in effect until March 7, 2026, according to official statements from the FAA and reporting by multiple news outlets including AVIONEWS, the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC), and the Los Angeles Times.
This move comes as Haiti’s capital and its surrounding regions continue to be plagued by violence and instability. Haitian criminal gangs, now officially designated by Washington as foreign terrorist organizations, have tightened their grip on Port-au-Prince, controlling approximately 90% of the city and its main air transport corridors. The FAA specifically cited the risk of attacks by these groups, who maintain access to small arms and drones capable of targeting low-altitude flights, as the rationale for continuing the ban.
“Haitian (foreign terrorist organizations) maintain access to small arms and unmanned aircraft systems capable of reaching low-altitude phases of flight,” the FAA explained in its statement, as reported by CMC and the Los Angeles Times. The agency’s concerns are not hypothetical: since March 2025, there has been at least one incident of gunfire directed at a low-flying aircraft in the restricted area, highlighting the persistent danger to civil aviation in and around the capital.
The roots of this crisis stretch back several years. In 2020, gang wars erupted across Haiti, and in 2021, the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse plunged the country into further chaos. Stability has remained elusive ever since. The situation escalated further in May 2025, when the U.S. government designated the powerful gang coalition Viv Ansanm as a foreign terrorist organization. This coalition was responsible for coordinated attacks that forced the closure of Toussaint Louverture International Airport—the country’s main international gateway—for nearly three months last year.
According to AVIONEWS, the FAA first imposed the flight ban in November 2024 after a series of alarming incidents. Three U.S.-registered planes, including a Spirit Airlines flight, were hit by gunfire while approaching Port-au-Prince. During one of these attacks, a flight attendant suffered minor injuries. Other commercial planes on the ground were also damaged. These attacks prompted an immediate 30-day halt on all flights to the capital, which has since been repeatedly extended as security conditions failed to improve.
While Toussaint Louverture International Airport did eventually reopen in December 2024, the return to normal operations has been slow and fraught with setbacks. The first commercial domestic flights did not resume until June 2025, and, crucially, no international commercial flights have been allowed to operate since the initial ban. The FAA’s current restrictions specifically prohibit U.S. civil aviation from operating below 10,000 feet in designated areas of Haitian airspace, a measure designed to minimize exposure to potential attacks during the vulnerable phases of takeoff and landing.
The impact of these restrictions has been profound. Port-au-Prince, once a bustling hub for international and regional travel, remains largely isolated from the outside world by air. According to AVIONEWS, many U.S. carriers had already suspended night flights to the capital before the FAA’s intervention, but the scale and duration of the current ban are unprecedented. Foreign governments, including the United States, have been forced to organize charter flights and evacuation missions for their citizens, most of which now depart from Cap-Haïtien Airport in northern Haiti, bypassing the dangerous capital altogether.
Cap-Haïtien Airport has become a vital lifeline for the country. Several airlines continue to operate flights from there to key destinations such as Miami and Nassau. Les Cayes Airport, located in the south of the country, also remains operational, though its services are more limited. Notably, the FAA has clarified that there have been no reported incidents involving civil aviation at either Cap-Haïtien or Les Cayes, in stark contrast to the ongoing threats in Port-au-Prince.
The broader context for these developments is a nation in turmoil. Since the onset of gang wars in 2020 and the political vacuum created by President Moïse’s assassination, Haiti has struggled to restore order. The gang coalition Viv Ansanm, now labeled a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S., has demonstrated its capacity to disrupt critical infrastructure and undermine state authority. Their coordinated attacks last year on government buildings and the main airport were a stark illustration of just how far their influence has spread.
For residents of Port-au-Prince and the wider Haitian diaspora, the extension of the FAA’s flight ban is both a symptom and a cause of ongoing hardship. International commercial flights provide not just a means of travel, but also a critical link for humanitarian aid, business, and family connections. The continued suspension of these flights has left many feeling cut off and vulnerable, especially as violence and lawlessness persist in the capital.
The FAA’s decision has not gone uncontested. Some stakeholders, including Haitian officials and business leaders, have expressed frustration at the prolonged isolation of the capital. They argue that the lack of commercial air access is hampering economic recovery efforts and making it more difficult to deliver much-needed assistance to those in need. However, the FAA and U.S. authorities have stood firm, insisting that the safety of passengers and crew must take precedence over all other considerations.
“The situation has not improved,” the FAA stated, emphasizing that ongoing security challenges prevent authorities from stopping attacks on aircraft in and around the capital. This assessment is echoed by international observers and humanitarian organizations, who warn that the unchecked power of armed gangs continues to pose a grave threat not only to aviation but to the broader stability of the country.
As Haiti enters another uncertain chapter, the eyes of the world remain fixed on Port-au-Prince. The extension of the FAA’s ban is a stark reminder of the challenges facing the nation and the international community’s struggle to respond effectively. For now, the skies above Haiti’s capital remain eerily quiet, a testament to the enduring dangers on the ground below.