On April 11, Haiti-based Sunrise Airways announced its intent to launch new nonstop service between Port-au-Prince, Haiti and Orlando, Florida beginning in October 2017. The new 3x’s weekly service marks the carrier’s first-ever flights to/from the U.S. and the first-ever nonstop service connecting Orlando and Haiti.
“For us, as an airline, and more importantly for the sizable Haitian community living in the Orlando area, these new flights are a tremendous development,” said Philippe Bayard, President of Sunrise Airways. “As Haiti’s hometown airline, Sunrise is especially proud to be the first to bring the convenience of nonstop service between Port-au-Prince and Orlando to the Central Florida market.”
The new scheduled service is slated to begin October 17, 2017, subject to government approval, with seats projected to be available for bookings in mid-June.
“Central Florida’s large, culturally rich, Haitian Airport,” says Phil Brown, Executive Director of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. “No longer will travel to Haiti require a trip to Miami first. This new non-stop service is not only convenient but also helps to further strengthen the bonds between our two communities.”
Sunrise Airways will deploy an Airbus A320 aircraft along its new Orlando–Port-au-Prince route. The aircraft will feature two classes of service – business and coach – with maximum seating for 150 passengers.
Sunrise Airways is the only first and only Haitian-owned airline to be awarded a Part 129 Foreign Air Carrier Certificate from the Dominican Republic. From its hub in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian-owned carrier operates daily scheduled passenger service connecting key gateways across the region with the world. Sunrise Airways currently serves Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (SDQ and JBQ); Havana (HAV), Camaguey (CMW) and Santiago de Cuba (SCU) in Cuba; and Cap Haitien (CAP). New flights to/from Kingston, Jamaica (KIN); Santiago, Dominican Republic (STI); Providenciales, Turks & Caicos (PLS); and Nassau, The Bahamas (NAS) are planned for 2017-2018, pending government approval.