As new carriers like Trogon Airways take flight, many Haitians are asking: Who really benefits? In a nation crippled by insecurity and economic despair, the airspace may be opening up, but the roads remain closed.
Transportation & Equity | The Haitian Pulse Editorial Team | July 2025
Aviation on the Rise—but for Whom?
In recent months, Haiti has seen a surprising burst of activity in its aviation sector. The arrival of Trogon Airways, a Haitian-branded airline planning to connect Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haïtien, and Les Cayes, is being celebrated by some as a sign of modernization and national pride. Combined with the ongoing operations of Sunrise Airways, the country now boasts more air connectivity than ever before. But scratch beneath the surface, and the picture is far less inspiring.
While the skies above Haiti may be getting busier, the roads below remain paralyzed. Widespread insecurity has made land travel a high-risk gamble. Entire bus routes are abandoned. Goods that once moved freely between cities are now halted by gang checkpoints, extortion, or worse. For most Haitians, who cannot afford even a fraction of what a domestic airline ticket costs, this so-called boom in air travel might as well be happening in another world.
"Competition is supposed to help consumers. But competition in a vacuum—without security, infrastructure, or affordability—is just noise."
Sky-High Fares and Outsourced Operations
Affordability is no small issue. Sunrise Airways' fares have long been criticized for being outrageously high—often surpassing the cost of international flights between neighboring countries. The airline, though Haitian-owned, relies heavily on leased aircraft and foreign crews, which inflates costs. Now, with Trogon Airways expected to follow a similar lease-based model, it's unclear whether this new competition will offer any real financial relief to passengers.
"Haiti doesn't need more flights. It needs freedom of movement. Security is what will reconnect this country, not press releases about planes most of us will never afford."
What Haiti Really Needs: Leadership, Not More Airlines
The core issue is this: Haiti doesn't need more airlines. It needs leadership.
What the country desperately lacks is security—the basic foundation that would allow its people to travel by land, access services, conduct business, and live without fear. Airplanes are not a substitute for governance. Glossy press releases about flight routes cannot replace functioning roads, police patrols, or a justice system that works.
“Neither Sunrise Airways nor Trogon Airways owns a single aircraft. This lack of transparency is not just a red flag — it’s the beginning of the betrayal. These companies wave the Haitian flag in their branding, but operate from the shadows, leasing foreign aircraft while the people foot the bill. It’s only a matter of time before the skies are flooded with copycat carriers — marketing patriotism, delivering little, and serving only the privileged few.”
Even the ownership of these airlines is a complicated question. While Sunrise and Trogon are Haitian in name and branding, both rely on wet-leased aircraft—planes owned, operated, and maintained by foreign companies. In practice, this means the airlines function more like travel agencies: booking tickets, marketing routes, and handling customer service, while the actual flying is outsourced. It's a business model that has been adopted globally, but in Haiti's fragile context, it raises questions about sustainability and local benefit.
When Progress Is Just an Illusion
To be clear, the arrival of new airlines is not inherently bad. Improved air connectivity can help in emergencies, move goods faster, and link isolated communities. But in the absence of basic land security, the utility of air travel becomes a privilege—a lifeline for the few, while the many continue to walk miles through danger zones just to survive.
"Glossy press releases about new routes don't matter when a mother can't safely reach a clinic two cities away."
Haiti's transportation crisis is not rooted in technology or lack of investment. It is the direct result of political neglect and systemic failure. Gangs control major roads, police stations are overrun, and national leaders remain either complicit or paralyzed. Until this reality changes, no number of planes in the sky will bring the country closer to healing.
The Haitian Pulse Calls for Accountability
At The Haitian Pulse, we believe in exposing illusions. We celebrate progress when it is real, but we also demand clarity and accountability. The appearance of connectivity must not distract from the truth of isolation. The rise of elite-only airlines cannot be mistaken for national development.
"Haiti deserves more than a runway. It deserves a government willing to open the roads."
The Haitian Pulse remains committed to investigative journalism that puts the people first. We call on our readers to engage, question, and demand more—because until every Haitian can travel safely, none of us are truly free.
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