Blackwater founder Erik Prince to send hundreds of fighters to strife-torn Haiti

Critics say Vectus Global’s presence – including snipers – will undermine Haiti’s police and UN security force

I didn't think that we were willing to do another intervention.

reads article

Ah, it's not a US intervention, just the Haitian government hiring them.

“One key measure of success for me will be when you can drive from Port-au-Prince to [the northern city of] Cap-Haïtien in a thin-skinned [non-armoured] vehicle and not be stopped by gangs,” Prince, who said he had struck a 10-year deal with Haiti’s government, told the news agency.

shrugs

I mean, I dunno if it's a good idea or not, but the status quo hasn't been working very well.

EDIT: Also, not to ding Prince's statement there, because it's legitimately gotten pretty horrific, but damn, "managing to drive between the two cities in something other than an armored vehicle --- note that he's not even saying unarmed, just unarmored --- without being held up by gangs" is a pretty low bar for success. I guess the government doesn't get to pick the starting point, but...

They also had airlines stop serving Haiti a while back, because there were too many people on the ground shooting up the aircraft as they were approaching, and I suspect that getting air transport functioning again is also probably going to be important.

kagis

It sounds like there's a Haitian-based airline, Sunrise Airways, that just agreed to restart flights as long as the government would agree to subsidize their insurance:

https://haitiantimes.com/2025/06/06/haiti-domestic-flight-resumption-port-au-prince/

Haiti’s domestic flights resume, sparking hope, skepticism and criticism
Flights restart operations starting June 12 between Port-au-Prince and provincial cities as U.S. commercial flight ban remains in effect until September

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti will resume service of domestic flights at Toussaint Louverture International Airport on June 12, reconnecting Port-au-Prince with provincial cities including Cap-Haïtien, Jacmel, Les Cayes and Jérémie. The move comes as the country remains under a U.S. commercial flight ban.

The resumption is being touted as the first major effort to reinvigorate domestic aviation since security issues shuttered Haiti’s airports earlier this year. In February 2024, flights were suspended for nearly three months after escalating violence forced airspace closures. On November 11, 2024, U.S.-based carriers like JetBlue Airways, American Airlines and Spirit Airlines halted operations when their aircraft came under gunfire near Port-au-Prince airport. Since then, no international commercial flights have returned to the capital.
The agreement signed on June 5, 2025, between government authorities and Sunrise Airways outlines the technical and insurance-related costs tied to the airline’s planned resumption of service between Port-au-Prince and three provincial capitals. As part of the deal, the Haitian government committed to subsidizing up to $11 million in insurance guarantees for the company’s domestic operations. The decision has sparked sharp criticism, particularly from economists, who argue that such funds would be more effectively used to combat insecurity and invest in national socioeconomic development.

1 comments

Critics say Vectus Global’s presence – including snipers – will undermine Haiti’s police and UN security force
I didn't think that we were willing to do another intervention.
reads article
Ah, it's not a US intervention, just the Haitian government hiring them.
“One key measure of success for me will be when you can drive from Port-au-Prince to [the northern city of] Cap-Haïtien in a thin-skinned [non-armoured] vehicle and not be stopped by gangs,” Prince, who said he had struck a 10-year deal with Haiti’s government, told the news agency.
shrugs
I mean, I dunno if it's a good idea or not, but the status quo hasn't been working very well.
EDIT: Also, not to ding Prince's statement there, because it's legitimately gotten pretty horrific, but damn, "managing to drive between the two cities in something other than an armored vehicle --- note that he's not even saying unarmed, just unarmored --- without being held up by gangs" is a pretty low bar for success. I guess the government doesn't get to pick the starting point, but...
They also had airlines stop serving Haiti a while back, because there were too many people on the ground shooting up the aircraft as they were approaching, and I suspect that getting air transport functioning again is also probably going to be important.
kagis
It sounds like there's a Haitian-based airline, Sunrise Airways, that just agreed to restart flights as long as the government would agree to subsidize their insurance:
https://haitiantimes.com/2025/06/06/haiti-domestic-flight-resumption-port-au-prince/
Haiti’s domestic flights resume, sparking hope, skepticism and criticism
Flights restart operations starting June 12 between Port-au-Prince and provincial cities as U.S. commercial flight ban remains in effect until September
PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti will resume service of domestic flights at Toussaint Louverture International Airport on June 12, reconnecting Port-au-Prince with provincial cities including Cap-Haïtien, Jacmel, Les Cayes and Jérémie. The move comes as the country remains under a U.S. commercial flight ban.
The resumption is being touted as the first major effort to reinvigorate domestic aviation since security issues shuttered Haiti’s airports earlier this year. In February 2024, flights were suspended for nearly three months after escalating violence forced airspace closures. On November 11, 2024, U.S.-based carriers like JetBlue Airways, American Airlines and Spirit Airlines halted operations when their aircraft came under gunfire near Port-au-Prince airport. Since then, no international commercial flights have returned to the capital.
The agreement signed on June 5, 2025, between government authorities and Sunrise Airways outlines the technical and insurance-related costs tied to the airline’s planned resumption of service between Port-au-Prince and three provincial capitals. As part of the deal, the Haitian government committed to subsidizing up to $11 million in insurance guarantees for the company’s domestic operations. The decision has sparked sharp criticism, particularly from economists, who argue that such funds would be more effectively used to combat insecurity and invest in national socioeconomic development.