Sunrise Airways Pauses Operations Amid Escalating Violence in Haiti

Sunrise Airways, based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, has announced a temporary suspension of all its operations starting March 1, in response to the surging gang violence and political unrest within the nation. This decision reflects the broader challenges facing Haiti, including the significant reduction of flights to and from its capital due to safety concerns.

The airline issued a statement, as reported by CNN, indicating the suspension of “all flights until further notice” as a measure to protect the safety of its passengers, ground crew, and aircraft. The rising instability has led to the near closure of Port-au-Prince Airport, with Flightradar24 ADS-B data showing limited flight activity. On March 3, only a few flights managed to operate, including two JetBlue Airways flights to New York JFK and Fort Lauderdale International, and an Air Century flight to Santo Domingo.

Sunrise Airways plays a critical role in Haiti’s aviation sector, accounting for approximately 62% of all weekly frequencies from the country’s main airport, as per ch-aviation capacities data. The airline’s suspension significantly impacts air travel connectivity for Haiti, which also serves as a crucial link for other carriers operating in the region, including American Airlines, Spirit Airlines, interCaribbean Airways, StratAir, Air Transat, and Air Caraibes.

The Sunrise fleet, detailed in the ch-aviation fleets module, includes two in-house aircraft—a BAe Jetstream 32 and an EMB-120ER (wet-leased to subsidiary Sunrise Dominicana)—and additional aircraft wet-leased from other operators, comprising one A321-200 from Avion Express Malta, three E120s, and one E145 from Sahara African Aviation.

This suspension by Sunrise Airways underscores the severe impact of Haiti’s current security and political challenges on its aviation industry, emphasizing the need for stability to ensure the safe continuation of air travel services in and out of the country.