Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer

#USA, September 9, 2023 – American Airlines, the largest airline at the Miami International Airport, is making moves, switching to a larger plane to cater to people fleeing Haiti, increasing the amount of seats available.

The airline since April has been using a smaller Airbus A319 with 128 seats on its route between Miami and Port-au-Prince. But now it is transitioning temporarily to the larger Boeing 737-800 with a 172 seat capacity which was in operation Friday and Saturday and will be again on September 7th to the 20th, according to Laura Masvidal, Erica, American Airlines spokeswoman.

Masvidal further informed that after September 20th, the airline will return to its usual plane, the Airbus A319 for the Haiti flights.

US passengers will now have more options to escape the chaotic atmosphere of the republic amid the difficulties getting a flight out of the country for months because of reduce flights US airlines and expensive fares.

Given the limited number of available seats that has hindered people trying to leave the island, Passengers have been subjected to expensive fares since spring this year.

In fact, as reported by the Miami Herald, “one-way tickets out of Port-au-Prince on American Airlines cost from $1,091 with a week’s planning to $3,404 for a last-minute airfare.”

Also, the fares have been fluctuating, an annoyance to U.S. Haitians.

However, American Airlines has had fare Cap since March for main cabin seats between Port-au-Prince and Miami and it will continue indefinitely, according to Masvidal.

She informed that the cap prevents one way main cabin fares from exceeding $716 excluding taxes and fees, she said.

In continuation, American Airlines is not the only entity making moves to help people flee Haiti.

Haiti-based carrier Sunrise Airway announced that it will, on September 15th, begin operating direct flights between Port-au-Prince and Miami airport. They said, according to reports, that they will be using  an Airbus A320, scheduled four times weekly.

Starting September 6th, they will also add flights between Cap-Haïtien and Miami four times a week.

These additional flight services seem to be timely as the demand to leave the country rises, especially after the US State Department issued its highest  travel advisory— “Do Not Travel”, announced just over month ago and last week’s issuance of another statement by the U.S. Embassy in Haiti urging Americans to exit the country as “soon as possible”.

It is also timely as more Haitians have set their eyes on the US under Biden’s recently launched two-year humanitarian parole program.

Over 50,000 Haitians since January,  have arrived in the U.S. under the program and according to the Biden administration, 63,000 Haitians have so far been vetted and approved.