American Airlines resumes Miami-Cap‑Haïtien flights, expands to Maracaibo, Venezuela

Haiti admin June 12, 2026 0 Comments

American Airlines resumes Miami-Cap‑Haïtien flights, expands to Maracaibo, Venezuela

American Airlines is returning to Haiti.

The U.S. carrier, which had stopped flying to Haiti more than a year ago, will resume daily nonstop service between Miami and Cap-Haitien, beginning Nov. 1, the airline announced Friday.

American had served Haiti for more than 50 years before pausing daily operations into Port-au-Prince and then suspending them indefinitely in December 2024. At the time, the Federal Aviation Administration imposed a ban on U.S. commercial airlines flying into the Haitian capital after a series of incidents where aircraft were struck by gang gunfire.

In 2014, the company became the first major commercial carrier to service Cap-Haïtien’s international airport after a damaged runway was finally repaired. But it canceled the service six years later during the COVID-19 pandemic.

American will operate a Boeing 737 with 172 seats — 156 in the main cabin and 16 in business. American’s return to Cap-Haïtien comes as U.S. commercial air service to Haiti’s main airport, Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, remains suspended amid the escalating gang violence in the capital.

Before suspending service, Fort Lauderdale-based Spirit Airlines was the only major commercial company that flew into Cap-Haïtien.

As a result of the disruption in air service, Haitians have been paying premium fares to get to Haiti, traveling aboard Haiti-based Sunrise Airways, which recently expanded service to Boston and Newark, or traveling via the Turks and Caicos and The Bahamas. Another carrier, Zed Airlines, recently launched flights between Miami and Cap-Haïtien, transporting a group of Haitian Americans and local officials on its inaugural trip last month; the Dominican Republic also recently opened its airspace to allow for the resumption of flights.

In a statement, American Airlines said Haiti represents the largest market in the Caribbean by passenger demand that is not currently served by a U.S. carrier. The company also noted that South Florida is home to the largest Haitian-American community, while residents of New York City and Orlando, both of which have large Haitian populations, will also benefit from “convenient one-stop connections” to Cap-Haitien.

In addition to Haiti, the airline is also expanding service to Venezuela. American will begin daily nonstop flights between Miami International Airport and Maracaibo on July 14.

“We welcome American Airlines’ resumption of service to Maracaibo, Venezuela, and Cap-Haïtien, Haiti, which will help reconnect families, support economic opportunity and deepen the longstanding ties between South Florida and these vibrant communities,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Danielle Levine Cava said.

The additions, she said, “further reinforce Miami International Airport’s role as a leading international hub and reflect the continued commitment of MIA’s largest carrier to connecting our community with destinations across our region.”

American Chief Commercial Officer Nat Piepe said the company is “committed to serving the needs of travelers by offering the most flights to the most destinations in the region of any U.S. carrier.”

The airline current services 100 destinations in the Caribbean and Latin America, including Anguilla; Bimini, Bahamas; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; South Caicos, Turks and Caicos and Montevideo, Uruguay.

“Our Miami hub is the epicenter for customers traveling to the Caribbean and Latin America with American, undoubtedly, having the most extensive network connecting the region with the world,” said American Senior Vice President of MIA Operations Juan Carlos Liscano.

“Today marks a major milestone in several ways, including our return to Haiti and more service to Venezuela, that together provide a consequential connection to so many in the Miami.”