Haiti and DR Reopen Airspace on May 1 After Two Years
Key Points
—Haiti and the Dominican Republic agreed on April 17 to reopen shared airspace starting May 1, 2026, ending a suspension that began in March 2024.
—Flights will connect Cap-Haitien in northern Haiti with three Dominican airports, but Port-au-Prince remains excluded due to ongoing gang control.
—The United Nations welcomed the agreement as a step toward improving humanitarian access to northern Haiti.
Deep Dive: The Dominican Republic closed its airspace to Haiti in March 2024 after escalating gang violence following the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Only humanitarian flights were permitted during the two-year shutdown.
The resumption of Haiti DR flights marks the most significant diplomatic opening between the two countries sharing Hispaniola since the border crisis of 2023.
The governments of Haiti and the Dominican Republic have agreed to restore commercial air links starting May 1, ending more than two years of suspended Haiti DR flights between the nations that share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. The Rio Times, the Latin American financial news outlet, reports that the deal was announced on April 17 in a joint declaration signed at the Codevi Industrial Park on the border.
The agreement restores connections between Cap-Haitien International Airport in northern Haiti and three Dominican airports. Foreign ministers Roberto Alvarez of the Dominican Republic and Raina Forbin of Haiti led the negotiations, which also covered border security, migration, and bilateral trade.
Why Haiti DR Flights Were Suspended
The Dominican Republic closed its airspace to Haitian commercial and cargo flights in March 2024, citing the extreme insecurity that had consumed its neighbor since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021. Only humanitarian flights were permitted during the shutdown.
The airspace closure came on top of a broader border shutdown that began in September 2023, triggered by Haiti’s construction of an irrigation canal fed by the Massacre River, which runs through both countries. That dispute severely strained bilateral relations and accelerated the Dominican government’s construction of a 174-kilometer concrete wall along the 380-kilometer shared border.
Haiti’s security situation has only deteriorated since then. Armed gangs control an estimated 85% of Port-au-Prince, more than 5,600 people were killed in gang violence in 2024, and over one million Haitians are internally displaced.
What the Agreement Covers
The reopening is partial and carefully scoped. Flights will connect Cap-Haitien, in Haiti’s relatively calmer northern region, with Dominican airports. Port-au-Prince, where gang violence makes airport operations dangerous, remains excluded from the initial reopening.
The joint statement framed the measure as a way to facilitate mobility, boost economic ties, and strengthen relations between both countries. It also thanked the international community, particularly the United Nations, for supporting Haitian stabilization efforts.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the Secretary-General welcomed the renewed dialogue and expected the reopened air corridor to help aid agencies move staff and supplies into northern Haiti. Humanitarian organizations have struggled to reach the northern part of the country overland because of gang checkpoints and road insecurity between Port-au-Prince and the north.
The Dominican Republic’s Dual Role
The Dominican Republic has become the de facto regional broker for Haiti’s crisis. Foreign Minister Alvarez hosted meetings with US diplomatic representatives in March to coordinate the transition from the Kenya-led multinational security mission to the new Chad-led Global Security Force authorized by the UN Security Council.
At the same time, the Dominican government has maintained the region’s tightest border enforcement with Haiti. Authorities deported over 180,000 Haitians between October 2024 and March 2025, and the border wall now stretches past 67 kilometers with more sections under construction.
The flight resumption reflects this dual posture: openness on connectivity and trade, firmness on migration control. For Haiti, the air link to Cap-Haitien provides a lifeline for the north that bypasses the gang-controlled capital entirely.
What to Watch
The May 1 date means the first flights could operate within days. Two variables will determine whether the reopening holds. The first is whether Cap-Haitien’s security environment remains stable enough for commercial operations.
The second is whether the new Chad-led Global Security Force can establish enough territorial control to expand flight routes beyond the north.
For the Dominican Republic’s tourism-driven economy, which welcomed 11.6 million visitors in 2025, restoring connectivity with Haiti also opens a potential transit route for aid workers and diaspora travelers who currently must route through Miami or other international hubs to reach northern Haiti.
Read More from The Rio Times