American Airlines said it will resume commercial service to Haiti on November 1, restarting U.S. carrier operations to the Caribbean nation after a suspension that began in late 2024.
The airline indicated it will operate flights to Cap-Haitien this fall and described the move as the first announcement by a U.S. carrier to restore service to Haiti since major U.S. carriers halted operations there.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has barred flights to Port-au-Prince since November 2024, citing threats posed by armed groups to civil aviation. While the FAA has subsequently permitted flights to six other airports in northern Haiti, it has kept the prohibition on flights to the Haitian capital in place.
American separately said it will expand options in Venezuela by adding service to Maracaibo starting July 14, providing a second Venezuelan airport choice for its network.
The FAA's restrictions on Port-au-Prince are currently set to remain in effect through at least September 3. The agency initially halted flights to Haiti in November 2024 after three U.S. commercial jetliners were struck by gunfire. The FAA has maintained the restriction on the capital because it says security forces remain unable to prevent attacks against aircraft in Port-au-Prince and neighboring areas.
As part of the operational allowances, U.S. aircraft may transit over Port-au-Prince at altitudes above 10,000 feet (3,048 m). The FAA now allows flights to operate to six Haitian airports: Port-de-Paix, Cap-Haitien, Pignon, Jeremie, Antoine-Simon and Jacmel.
An international U.N. report cited in recent months said nearly 20,000 people have been killed in Haiti since 2021, and that the annual death toll has risen each year as increasingly powerful and independent armed gangs have fought with security forces and local vigilante groups. The FAA also reported that since September 2025 Haitian groups have used small-arms fire to attack at least three aircraft in the area where U.S. civil aviation is prohibited.
Haiti remains the only Caribbean country without direct flights from U.S. carriers. American's announcement to return to service to Cap-Haitien represents the first U.S. carrier step toward re-establishing a direct link, while the FAA continues to limit operations to specific northern airports and to bar flights to Port-au-Prince.
The timing of American's Cap-Haitien service and the addition of Maracaibo to its route map reflect the carrier's phased approach to restoring and expanding international connectivity amid ongoing safety restrictions and regulatory conditions imposed by the FAA.