Evans Paul calls for the secure reopening of Toussaint-Louverture Airport

Evans Paul, former Prime Minister of Haiti, called on the authorities on Friday to prioritize security and the freeing of Toussaint-Louverture International Airport. Two years after gunfire targeted commercial aircraft as they approached the airport, Evans Paul denounced the prolonged lockdown of Port-au-Prince.

"Free the airport!" Evans Paul declared on this occasion, highlighting the human and socio-economic consequences of a situation that affects the international movement of people. Before these incidents occurred in November 2024, the airport handled about 1.5 million passengers per year in a country with more than 11 million inhabitants.

Since the events of November 11, 2024, several airlines have suspended their operations at the airport. Evans Paul is therefore calling for the securing of the facilities and their surroundings to restore airline confidence.

"An international airport is not just transport infrastructure: it is a gateway to the world, an instrument of sovereignty, and an essential lever for development," he stated. The former Prime Minister believes that the prolonged paralysis of the airport further weakens an economy already strained by insecurity.

Faced with this situation, Evans Paul also advocates for the re-establishment of state authority and the restoration of security throughout Haitian territory. He is calling for armed threats around the access routes to the airport to be neutralized.

Human consequences

Evans Paul particularly lamented the separation of families, the difficulties in accessing medical care, and the compromise of student projects. Entrepreneurs, merchants, and travelers are also facing higher costs due to the use of often complex alternative routes.

Uncertainties

The question remains: Is Haiti condemned to live through a third year of aerial isolation?