Port-au-Prince’s main international airport has reopened nearly three months after a forced closure due to deadly gang-related violence. The first commercial flight, organized by Haiti’s Sunrise Airways and operated by Florida-based World Atlantic charter carrier, departed for Miami, Florida, marking a significant step towards normalcy.
Hopes for Stability and Supplies
Haiti’s transitional authorities are optimistic that the airport’s reopening will facilitate the arrival of much-needed basic supplies, such as medicine, and allow trapped foreigners to leave the country. Despite the airport reopening, gangs continue to control much of the capital, and the main seaport remains closed.
Travel Resumes Amid Challenges
The departure of Monday’s flight was delayed by nearly two hours, causing discomfort for passengers due to stuffy conditions on board. Nonetheless, local residents expressed relief at the opportunity to travel again. “There are thousands of people who wanted to travel, but for a certain time could not. I had to live in a tent for more than three months. Many people were suffering,” Rosemond Desire told AP Television News.
Limited Flight Operations
Until the reopening of the Port-au-Prince airport, the only operating airport in the country was in Cap-Haïtien. However, ongoing gang violence has made it difficult for many Haitians to travel to the northern city. US airlines are not expected to resume flights to Port-au-Prince until late May or early June.
Political and Social Turmoil
The gangs’ coordinated attacks have been linked to demands for the resignation of then Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who agreed to step down in March. A transitional council, consisting of nine members with seven holding voting powers, has been sworn in to lead the country. Michel Patrick Boisvert, Henry’s finance minister, is serving as the interim prime minister.
Mass Displacement and International Aid
In recent weeks, tens of thousands of people have fled Port-au-Prince due to the violence. Kenya is set to deploy police to Haiti as part of an international task force aimed at helping the transitional council restore stability.
The reopening of the airport is a hopeful sign, but the path to recovery remains fraught with challenges as the nation grapples with violence and political instability.
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Written By Doris Chinwe Omemgbeoji