American temporarily halts MIA-Port-au-Prince flights, limiting travel options to Haiti
It’s about to get harder to travel between Miami and Port-au-Prince.
American Airlines canceled its flights between Miami International Airport and Haiti’s Port-au-Prince-Toussaint Louverture International Airport from Aug. 17 to Sept. 8 due to an aircraft delivery delay from Boeing, the company announced this week. One daily flight between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port-au-Prince on American will remain during that time.
The reduction, albeit temporary and unrelated to the nation’s political instability, leaves the country with fewer flight options during a period when travel is usually high between its diaspora communities who return for hometown festivals. Last summer, American Airlines canceled its service to Cap-Haïtien. Today, only Spirit Airlines operates international flights from Cap-Haïtien to Fort Lauderdale.
The aircraft delivery delay also caused American to cancel one of its daily flights between Miami and Philadelphia starting this week through Aug. 30.
“We apologize to our customers that have been impacted by these suspensions and we are working to re-accommodate them on other flights,” the company said in a statement.
Earlier this month, Boeing announced it would slow delivery of its 787 jets after discovering a defect with the plane during a review by the Federal Aviation Administration, The Wall Street Journal reported. The summer slow-down in deliveries follows two previous halts in 787 deliveries.
American Airlines’ decision to cancel flights comes as Haiti continues to reel from the assassination of its president Jovenel Moïse inside his private residence. The July 7 killing has prompted a multinational probe. On Tuesday, the country installed a new government, including a new minister of tourism.
