FAA Extends Flight Ban to Haiti's Capital Until March Amid Gang Violence
Quick Look
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has extended a ban on U.S. flights below 10,000 feet over Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas until March 2 due to ongoing gang violence, following a November 2025 incident where gunfire struck a Spirit Airlines aircraft, injuring a flight attendant and grounding other planes.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The FAA initially banned U.S. flights below 10,000 feet over Port-au-Prince in November 2025 after gunmen fired on a Spirit Airlines aircraft during approach, injuring a flight attendant and damaging other grounded planes. The ban has been renewed multiple times due to persistent gang violence.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has extended a ban on U.S. flights to Haiti’s capital until March as gang violence persists.
The ban means that commercial operators and U.S. registered civilian aircraft can't fly below 10,000 feet (around 3,000 meters) in Port-au-Prince and nearby areas, including parts of central Haiti.
The FAA first halted such flights in November 2025 after gunmen shot at a Spirit Airlines flight as it was landing at Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport. A flight attendant received minor injuries and other commercial planes on the ground were hit.
The FAA has extended its ban several times since that incident, a move that continues to isolate Port-au-Prince from the rest of the country.
The latest extension was implemented on Tuesday and will remain in place until March 2.
Police and a U.N.-backed gang suppression force are trying to quell gangs that control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince and swaths of land in Haiti’s central region.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The FAA will likely reassess the flight ban before March 2 if gang violence decreases significantly.
Possible · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What specific measures are the Haitian police and U.N.-backed force taking to reduce gang control?
- How effective have previous flight ban extensions been in pressuring gangs to reduce violence?
- Are there plans to reassess the flight restriction before March 2 if security improves?
