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FAA extends flight restrictions to Port-au-Prince into March amid gang violence

U.S. aviation regulators prolong a low-altitude flight ban over Haiti's capital as armed groups maintain control across the city.

Updated Sep 2, 2026 · 14:20 UTC4 reports

The short version

  • The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration prolonged restrictions prohibiting U.S. commercial and civilian aircraft from operating below 10,000 feet in Port-au-Prince and nearby areas until March 2.
  • The restrictions were first imposed in November 2025 after gunfire struck a landing Spirit Airlines commercial plane, injuring a crew member.
  • The ongoing flight restrictions maintain the international aviation isolation of Port-au-Prince while local police and a U.N.-backed security mission struggle to contain gang activity.

Key facts

  • The FAA extended a ban on U.S.-registered civilian planes and commercial operators flying below 10,000 feet in Port-au-Prince and parts of central Haiti until March 2.[ABC News · ABC News · Associated Press · ABC News]
  • The flight prohibition was originally enacted in November 2025 after a Spirit Airlines flight was hit by gunfire while attempting to land at Toussaint Louverture International Airport, leaving a flight attendant with minor injuries.[ABC News · ABC News · Associated Press · ABC News]
  • Gangs currently control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince alongside portions of central Haiti, despite containment efforts by local police and a U.N.-backed multinational force.[ABC News · ABC News · Associated Press · ABC News]

What remains uncertain

  • It remains unknown when security conditions around Toussaint Louverture International Airport will improve sufficiently to permit the resumption of regular commercial flights.[ABC News · Associated Press]

Sources