American Airlines Resumes Haiti Service With All-Haitian Crew, Two Years After Gunfire

American Airlines resumed service to Haiti on Nov. 1, 2026, launching daily nonstop flights between Miami International Airport and Cap-Haïtien International Airport (CAP), according to Aviation Week and Simple Flying. The inaugural flight was operated by an all-Haitian, Creole-speaking crew led by Captain Oliver Jean, the outlets reported. The restart marks the first time a major U.S. network carrier has restored service to Haiti since U.S. airlines suspended operations in November 2024, when gunfire struck aircraft operated by American, JetBlue and Spirit over Port-au-Prince amid what the U.S. embassy described as 'gang-led efforts to block travel.' The service does not extend to the capital's Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP), which remains inaccessible to U.S. commercial carriers under FAA restrictions. Cap-Haïtien, in northern Haiti, falls outside the restricted airspace. American operates the route with Boeing 737 aircraft, offering more than 90 onward U.S. connections through Miami, Simple Flying reported. The carrier immediately became the largest operator at CAP with 2,408 two-way weekly seats, per OAG data cited by Aviation Week. American, which has served Haiti since 1971, last flew to Cap-Haïtien between 2014 and 2020. The airline said CAP is its 100th destination in Latin America and the Caribbean. Officials noted the service does not indicate conditions have normalized across Haiti.