Gang Clashes Near Airport Force Sunrise Airways Flight Suspension; Bullet Strikes Terminal Building

Rival gang factions clashed in the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac area adjacent to Toussaint Louverture International Airport on April 20, 2026, sending stray gunfire to the airport perimeter and striking an administrative building window. The clashes pitted the Chen Mechan gang and allies based in Canaan against groups operating from Duvivier and Pyè 6, former allies within the Viv Ansanm coalition who have turned against each other. Sunrise Airways suspended all Port-au-Prince flights for the day, with communications director confirming: 'There were gunshots at the airport. Flights are suspended for the day.' The Guy Malary domestic terminal continued limited operations. Residents from Sarthe, Duvivier, Marin, Fuji, Blancha, and Terre Noire were trapped in fighting around the Croix-des-Missions bridge and sought escape on foot through adjacent fields. No casualties were reported from the airport incident itself. The incident occurred while the U.S. FAA maintained a flight ban over Port-au-Prince through September 2026 — making Sunrise Airways, which resumed operations after the MSS secured the perimeter in mid-2024, particularly vulnerable to disruptions. The April 20 clashes illustrate gang fracturing within Viv Ansanm: the coalition that once coordinated to overthrow PM Henry has splintered into rival factions fighting over the capital's diminishing revenue streams.