25588: Wharram - news - American to reduce its flights to Haiti by half (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

> From Bruce Wharram <bruce.wharram@sev.org>

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

American to reduce its flights to Haiti by half
By Niala Boodhoo
Business Writer

July 6, 2005

American Airlines will cut half its daily flights from Miami to
Port-au-Prince Haiti beginning next week, the airline said Tuesday.

A local spokeswoman said the cuts were not because of the increasing
violence in the Caribbean nation, where last week, the International Red
Cross said one of its workers was kidnapped and killed.

In late May, the U.S. State Department warned Americans against travel to
Haiti and evacuated nonessential embassy personnel.

"This is just a seasonal adjustment," said spokeswoman Martha Pantin. "We
have a long history in Haiti and we're proud of the service we've provided
there for many years."

American will cut one of its four daily flights from Miami on July 15, and a
second flight will be cut Aug. 23. One of two daily flights from JFK
International Airport in New York will be cut today, the airline said. The
airline has one daily flight from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International to
Port-au-Prince that will not be changed.

Pantin said passengers holding tickets on the cancelled flights will be
accommodated on other flights, and urged customers to visit the airline's
Web site, www.aa.com, or to contact their travel professional.

Gepsie Metellus, executive director of Sant La, the Haitian Neighborhood
Center in Miami, said the decision to cut back flights make it look like
"we're isolating Haiti more and more."

"What happens when it's really rough and you have a bunch of people trying
to leave?" she asked. "In a country where you don't have the infrastructure
of a variety of carriers, this isn't going to be easy."

Niala Boodhoo can be reached at nboodhoo@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4208.

Copyright © 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel