Antoine-Simon Airport receives rare U.S. TSA “Last Point of Departure” certification – Miami service starts soon
Les Cayes, Haiti – December 4, 2025 After years of waiting, the people of Haiti’s southern peninsula finally have a direct link to the United States. On Wednesday, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration officially granted Antoine-Simon Airport (CYA) in Les Cayes the coveted “Last Point of Departure” certification, meaning security screening done in Les Cayes now meets full U.S. federal standards.
The first beneficiary: Miami-based IBC Airways will launch scheduled commercial flights between Les Cayes and Miami International Airport in the coming weeks – the first direct U.S. route from southern Haiti in over a decade.
No more long, expensive, and often dangerous bus or tap-tap rides to Port-au-Prince. No more double security checks upon landing in Florida. Passengers will now clear TSA-equivalent screening once in Les Cayes and walk straight off the plane in Miami, just like travelers from Nassau, Kingston, or Santo Domingo.
A Game-Changer for the Entire Grand Sud
Haiti’s National Office of Civil Aviation (OFNAC) called the certification “excellent news for the population and the economy of the entire Grand Sud.” In a statement released December 3, the agency declared:
“This opens the door to easier travel, increased trade, medical evacuations, diaspora visits, and tourism. Local hotels, restaurants, transporters, and small businesses will all feel the impact.”
Business leaders in Les Cayes, Jérémie, and Aquin agree. Direct flights are expected to slash travel costs by up to 60 %, cut total journey time from 10–14 hours to under 2 hours, and make weekend trips home realistic again for the southern diaspora in Florida, New York, and beyond.
“This is bigger than one airport,” said Les Cayes Chamber of Commerce president Jean-Robert Pierre. “When a mother in Camp-Perrin can hug her daughter in Miami without spending two days on the road, that’s progress. When mango exporters can ship fresh fruit the same day, that’s money in farmers’ pockets.”
From Runway Repairs to TSA Approval
The road to certification was long. In recent years the runway was extended and resurfaced, a new terminal built, and screening equipment upgraded with support from the Haitian government and international partners. The final TSA inspection in November confirmed that Antoine-Simon now meets the same rigorous standards as major Caribbean gateways.
IBC Airways, a veteran carrier that already serves Cap-Haïtien and Port-au-Prince when security allows, plans to operate modern 30-seat Saab 340 aircraft on the route. Schedules and ticket sales are expected to be announced before Christmas, with inaugural flights possibly before Haitian Independence Day (January 1).
A Bright Spot Amid Port-au-Prince Closure
The celebration in the south was tempered by renewed calls to reopen Toussaint Louverture International Airport in the capital, which has remained closed to commercial traffic for months due to gang violence around its perimeter. Many in the diaspora and business community argue that Haiti needs both airports fully operational to truly recover.
For now, though, the Grand Sud is ready to fly higher than it has in years.
As one excited traveler waiting at the small Antoine-Simon terminal told L’Union Suite: “M’pa bezwen pase Pòtoprens ankò pou m’ale Miami? Bon bagay sa wi! Se lè sa a nou pral wè touris, lajan, ak fanmi retounen.”
Translation: “I don’t have to go through Port-au-Prince to reach Miami anymore? That’s huge. Now we’ll see tourism, money, and family come back.”
Tickets go on sale soon. The south is open for business and for love.
Bon voyage, Grand Sud!
Add Comment