Dominican Republic Reopens Airspace to Cap-Haïtien After Two-Year Suspension — Flights Resume to Haiti's Second City

The Dominican Republic reopened its airspace to Cap-Haïtien, Haiti's second-largest city and capital of the Nord Department, in May 2026, following approximately two years of airspace suspension that had severely restricted access to northern Haiti. The resumption of DR-Haiti flights to Cap-Haïtien represents a modest but significant positive development for northern Haiti's economic and humanitarian connectivity. Cap-Haïtien, home to approximately 300,000 people, has historically been more stable than Port-au-Prince, though it has experienced increasing gang pressure and infrastructure stress as conflict displaced populations northward. The airport had served as an alternate supply route for MSS logistics given the security constraints at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince (subject to an FAA flight ban through September 2026). The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti; cross-border economic ties — trade, remittances, and irregular migration — make DR-Haiti air connectivity significant for both countries. The context of this reopening is an important signal: despite the ongoing security crisis in Port-au-Prince, the northern corridor around Cap-Haïtien remains sufficiently stable for commercial aviation, potentially serving as an economic lifeline for communities in the Nord and Nord-Est departments that have been somewhat insulated from the worst of the gang violence gripping the West and Artibonite departments.