With Port-au-Prince domestic flights halted, Sunrise Airways expands to Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport will soon become the second U.S. destination served by Sunrise Airways, the only carrier offering direct flights from Haiti’s northern coast to the United States.
Beginning Dec. 15, the Haiti-based airline will launch three-times-weekly service, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, between Fort Lauderdale and Cap-Haïtien. The new route complements Sunrise’s existing flights between Miami and Cap-Haïtien.
“The addition of Fort Lauderdale to our route network creates an attractive second option linking Haiti and South Florida,” said Sunrise CEO Gary Stone. “We’re thrilled to expand our footprint in the Sunshine State and look forward to connecting more of the Caribbean with the U.S. via South Florida in the near future.”
Sunrise Airways plans to deploy an Airbus A320 aircraft along its new Fort Lauderdale route with 179 seats.
While the airline serves as a critical lifeline for diaspora communities in the U.S. and others needing reliable travel in and out of Haiti, it has struggled meeting the demand. Customers complain of canceled flights or having to wait for hours before knowing whether they will travel. The airline doesn’t own its aircraft, which leaves it at the mercy of charter companies that are sometimes late or cancel at the last minute.
In May, the company announced that it had tapped Stone, a former vice president and regional general manager for Latin America and the Caribbean for Sabre Corporation, to head the airline. He told the Miami Herald that Sunrise Airways has learned from “our growing pains in Miami,” and those lessons are being applied to their new station in Fort Lauderdale. They’re also being implemented in Miami.
“Passengers will see and feel the differences in several very tangible ways. For example, the aircraft we’ll deploy in South Florida moving forward will be 100% dedicated to serving Sunrise operations. This will ensure improved on-time performance and minimal operational disruption going forward,” he said. “In the near future, Sunrise will also launch a new app allowing passengers to book and modify reservations while also receiving up-to-the-minute communication about their flights. These investments and product enhancements are all part of our ongoing commitment to continually improve the customer experience everywhere we fly.”
U.S. flights still barred
The expansion into Fort Lauderdale comes as U.S. airlines remain shut out of Haiti and as Sunrise’s domestic operations into Haiti’s volatile capital, Port-au-Prince, remain suspended following a Nov. 23 shooting incident.
In November 2024, gunfire targeting aircraft led the Federal Aviation Administration to bar U.S. carriers from flying into Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport. Last month, gunfire reportedly hit a Sunrise Embraer 120 aircraft as it approached the airport from Les Cayes.
While no passengers, crew or individuals on the ground were injured, the company temporarily suspended all flights to and from Port-au-Prince, citing an “unacceptable level of risk” to passengers and crews.
The problem with the aircraft was noticed by the pilot during a pre-flight visual inspection shortly before it was preparing to board passengers to Les Cayes, according to a report by a deputy justice of the peace assigned to do an incident report. There was “an unusual hole in the rudder,” according to the report obtained by the Herald. The pilot then called the mechanic to confirm his observation.
“With the mechanic’s help, they were able to confirm that it was an impact that had perforated both the rudder and the elevator. For safety and security reasons, it was decided to cancel the flight and not move the aircraft,” the report said.
The judge noted that an officer from the Haiti National Police judicial unit was present, and a hole in the rudder and two impacts on the elevator. No shell casings were found. A divisional police inspector confirmed that it was indeed a bullet from a high-caliber weapon that had left four impacts, the report said.
According to Sunrise, three independent sources have confirmed its aircraft was hit by two projectiles last month, qualifying it as a “serious event” under international civil aviation safety standards—one requiring direct and immediate state intervention before safe commercial operations can resume in Port-au-Prince.
Targeted planes
The company is calling for the government to increase security measures around the airport’s perimeter and along its approach and departure runways, and is also demanding a formal government investigation into the shooting. The shooting last month, similar to two previous incidents involving a Sunrise aircraft, occurred amid heightened political tensions connected to the ouster of a prime minister. Though there are other private planes and helicopters operating at the airport, it appears that only Sunrise’s aircraft have been targeted.
The government has the responsibility under international standards to guarantee protection of the aircraft, the safety of passengers and crews, the integrity of aerial navigation services and the security of airports as well as approach and departure trajectories, Sunrise said.
This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
