20326: (Hermantin) Sun-Sentinel-Crowds endure chaos at Port-au-Prince airport to catch (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Crowds endure chaos at Port-au-Prince airport to catch first flights to S.
Florida

By Sandra Hernandez
Staff Writer
Posted March 12 2004

Throngs of passengers at Haiti's main airport braved long lines, delays and
confusion Thursday as commercial airlines resumed flights to Fort
Lauderdale.

"It was very crowded," said Fritznor Saintelus, who arrived at Fort
Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport aboard American Airlines' first
flight out since the carrier temporarily suspended service to Port-au-Prince
on Feb. 26. Flights to Miami resumed Tuesday.Looking weary, Saintelus said
he arrived at 7 a.m. at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport and
stood in lines that stretched down the street hoping to make a 10:45 a.m.
flight to South Florida.


"The lines were long, but that is to be expected when there is turmoil,"
said Saintelus, a doctor who is visiting friends in West Palm Beach.

The human traffic jam outside Port-au-Prince's main airport was the latest
sign of the instability still hanging over the Caribbean nation.

The death toll of more than 200 is rising as morgues struggle to deal with
bodies that arrive daily.

Meanwhile, gunfire and looting continue in some parts of the capital,
including a commercial park near the airport.

"We've had patrols at the industrial complex because of the looting," said
Maj. Richard Crusan, a spokesman for the U.S. Marines in Port-au-Prince.

About 2,500 international forces are stationed in Haiti, including 1,600
U.S. Marines. Initially ordered to help maintain law and order, their
mandate has expanded to include disarming local gangs and stopping street
violence.

Their presence was almost invisible earlier this week when hundreds of
confused travelers patiently waited for word of where to change tickets,
secure a seat or even confirm a flight.

One television crew reported driving directly onto the tarmac in order to
make a Tuesday flight after failing to find a way into the terminal.

Thursday, however, travelers reported improved security outside the airport.

"It is still tense there, but there were some Marines and local police
outside," said Robert, a businessman from the violence-wracked Delmas area
of the capital. Citing safety concerns, he declined to give his last name.

He was among the hundreds of travelers stranded after flights were canceled
in the wake of civil unrest that made it difficult for airline workers to
reach the airport.

"It was crazy. I go back pretty often because I have family there, but I
have never seen it like this," said Albert, who flew into Fort Lauderdale
Thursday afternoon after staying in Delmas.

"I think it was better than the first day just because everyone was trying
to leave then," he said, also declining to give his last name for safety
reasons.

A spokesman for the Marines in Haiti said they are working with airline
officials to ensure safety but insisted they are not there to patrol the
airport.

"Our job is not to guard the airport," Crusan said. "I know some people
wanted a soldier at every counter and every door, but that isn't practical
and doesn't really send a message of security."

Sandra Hernandez can be reached at shernandez@sun-sentinel.com or 954 356
4514.      Email story

Copyright © 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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