Sunrise Airways Domestic Flights Canceled: What to Know

Sunrise Airways has suspended all flights to and from Port-au-Prince until further notice. On November 23, 2025, one of its aircraft arriving from Les Cayes was struck by gang gunfire during final descent at the Guy Malary terminal of Toussaint Louverture International Airport. No injuries were reported, but the airline halted every Port-au-Prince operation the same day.

If you have a canceled ticket, a stranded relative, or someone in Haiti you’re trying to reach, this post explains exactly what happened, which routes are affected, and the steps to take right now.

Here’s what you’ll get: a plain breakdown of the domestic route halt, your options for rebooking, credits, and refunds, and the wider security picture shaping every decision Sunrise makes.

The Halt on Domestic Routes

The suspension has cut off air travel between Port-au-Prince and Haiti’s major cities. Sunrise is the country’s only operating airline, so its decision effectively grounds domestic air links tied to the capital.

The following routes connected to Port-au-Prince are suspended:

• Cap-Haïtien in the north
• Les Cayes in the south
• Jérémie in the southwest
• Jacmel on the southern coast

For families, this closure removes the one safe way to move across the country. Residents trying to reach Haiti’s Grand North or Grand South now face two hard choices.

1. Travel by road. National highways are controlled by gang-run toll stations. Reports place tolls at roughly $192 to $231 per truck, and fuel convoys have been charged far more. Drivers and passengers pay these fees while risking their lives.
2. Travel by sea. Others turn to boats to visit relatives in provincial towns, accepting real safety risks on the water.

Not every route is grounded. Sunrise confirmed that flights unrelated to Port-au-Prince continue as normal — including service between Cap-Haïtien and the United States, along with other southern connections. Check your specific itinerary before assuming it’s affected.

So what? If your trip does not touch Port-au-Prince, you may still be able to fly. Confirm your route status before making any backup plans.

What Affected Passengers Need to Know

Sunrise’s commercial team will contact affected passengers directly to arrange the next step. The airline stated it will handle canceled bookings through rebooking, flight credits, or refunds according to company policy.

Take these actions now:

1. Confirm your contact details are current. The airline reaches out to travelers with reservations, so make sure the phone number and email on your booking are correct.
2. Choose your resolution. You can request one of three options — rebooking on an available route, a flight credit for future travel, or a refund — subject to Sunrise’s policy.
3. Check official updates. Visit sunriseairways.net for the active travel notice and route status. The homepage carries a direct alert for canceled flights.
4. Keep every record. Save your booking reference, payment confirmation, and any messages from the airline. These speed up any credit or refund request.

Sunrise has been clear about timing: no operations will resume “until conditions are fully met to operate with complete peace of mind.” There is no fixed restart date. Treat every announced schedule as provisional until the airline confirms it.

One practical note for families abroad: if you’re trying to verify a relative’s location or reach someone caught by these cancellations, a trusted people search platform can help you find current contact details and confirm you’re reaching the right person — a small step that matters when reliable communication is hard to come by.

The Broader Security Crisis

The suspension reflects a security collapse far larger than one airline. Gang violence has paralyzed aviation around Port-au-Prince, and multiple layers of official warnings are now in place.

Here is the wider picture behind the cancellation:

• U.S. State Department Level 4 ‘Do Not Travel’ advisory. This is the highest advisory level, urging Americans not to travel to Haiti because of kidnapping, crime, and civil unrest.
• FAA flight ban. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions — an official alert to pilots) barring American commercial flights from operating below 10,000 feet over Haiti. First imposed in November 2024, it has been extended through March 7, 2026.
• A pattern of aircraft strikes. This is not an isolated event. Aircraft operated by JetBlue, American Airlines, and Spirit Airlines were also struck by gunfire near Port-au-Prince. A November 2024 Spirit Airlines strike injured a flight attendant and forced a diversion to the Dominican Republic.
• Gang control of the capital. The United Nations warned that armed groups hold “near-total control” of Port-au-Prince.
• A cycle of reprisals. Police anti-gang operations near Croix-des-Bouquets and Tabarre — both close to the airport — began around November 13. Armed groups, hit hard, vowed retaliation, fueling the sporadic gunfire around the airport.

There was an effort to keep domestic air travel alive. When Sunrise resumed domestic flights in June 2025, the Haitian government backed the restart with an $11 million insurance guarantee to cover risks tied to the country’s instability. That agreement reconnected Port-au-Prince with Cap-Haïtien, Jacmel, Les Cayes, and Jérémie.

The latest gunfire shows how fragile that reconnection remains. Financial guarantees cannot substitute for physical safety on the ground.

The Bottom Line for Travelers and Their Families

The safety of passengers and crew is the priority driving every decision here. Sunrise chose to ground its capital routes rather than risk lives, and the security data supports that call.

For now, do three things:

1. Verify your route — only Port-au-Prince flights are suspended.
2. Contact Sunrise or check sunriseairways.net to arrange rebooking, credit, or refund.
3. Stay connected with anyone affected, using reliable tools to confirm current contact details.

The hope is straightforward: restored stability, safer skies, and the return of air links that reconnect Haiti’s north and south. Until conditions allow a safe restart, watch the official channels and keep your plans flexible.