The Day

When will flights resume between Miami and Haiti?

- By VINOD SREEHARSHA and JACQUELINE CHARLES

— American Airlines will resume flying between Miami and Portau-Prince on May 9, slightly more than two months after suspending flights in and out of Haiti because of civil unrest and security concerns.

The move comes one day after the country installed a new nine-member presidenti­al council that will help the country form a new government.

American Airlines will fly daily, seven days a week between Miami Internatio­nal Airport and Toussaint Louverture Internatio­nal Airport, and tickets are now available online, the carrier said on Friday. One-way main cabin fares from Port-au-Prince to MIA will be capped at $705 and business class fares capped at $1,699, excluding taxes and fees, said spokespers­on

Laura Masvidal. American will use a Boeing 737-800 with 166 seats.

The announced price caps came as some Haitians complained about seeing fares as high as $3,400 for oneway tickets.

On Friday, a search of American Airlines’ website for one-way flights from Miami to Port-au-Prince found no availabili­ty until May 17, indicating earlier flights were sold out, Masvidal said. A one-way ticket on that day was listed at $320. The fare dropped to $125 for May 21.

A search for one-way flights from Port-au-Prince to Miami also found first availabili­ty on May 17. Economy was sold out but a business class seat for the two-hour trip was listed at $1,975. That was a result of the $1,699 capped airfare plus $276 in fees and taxes, according to the website. The first coach ticket was not available until May 20 and was listed at $882. That reflected the capped fare of $705 plus fees and taxes.

American’s resumed flights are likely to inject some normalcy into the Caribbean country but also provide a much needed way in and out — for people and for supplies. All U.S. commercial airlines that fly between Haiti and the U.S. have suspended their flights since early March.

Haiti has been mired in gang-fueled violence, kidnapping­s and instabilit­y for several months.

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