The enduring flight of Sunrise Airways: Haiti’s last airline

CAP-HAÏTIEN — Philippe Bayard is a highly vocal CEO and entrepreneur who is often a bit agitated when he talks, especially when the conversation involves his businesses. However, during an interview with The Haitian Times his voice suddenly softened as he reminisced about how things went last year with Sunrise Airways, his airline company.

“Last summer, I didn’t have a good time at all,” Bayard said, his voice subdued. “Some people even swore never to take Sunrise again. And I understand them. It was unacceptable. I’m very, very sorry it went that way. And if I could correct it, I would.”

Many customers’ flights were canceled or delayed, and people were not informed in a timely manner. Airplanes needed repairs on days flights were scheduled, which significantly delayed Sunrise’s operations. Angry, some Haitians said they somewhat expected such issues from Sunrise because it operates within the broader context of Haitian companies’ struggles to function according to acceptable standards. 

Indeed, due to substandard service, Bayard’s company had to pause its flights between Haiti and Florida, leaving Haitians with U.S.-based carriers, such as American Airlines, JetBlue and Spirit, as the only options. The Haitian airline’s service was not up to par and became unacceptable to many mainly because its operator, World Atlantic Airlines, was often late in providing aircraft. After starting to cooperate with a new operator, Eastern Air Express, Sunrise resumed flights to the U.S. in November. 

Sunrise’s return with its Cap-Haïtien-Miami daily flights came at a crucial time when all U.S.-based airline operations were banned in Haiti. Since Nov. 12, 2024, after gang members shot at a Spirit airplane, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has enacted a flight ban on Haiti, citing significant safety risks. For some, since Sunrise is the only airline operating between the U.S. and Haiti for now, the company needs to function efficiently and effectively; otherwise, the Haitian diaspora and those in Haiti seeking air travel options will be left in shambles. 

But Bayard sounds like he is up to the challenge. He wants to prove that Sunrise can strive where all the previous Haitian airlines failed flatly.

“I have to succeed because a lot of people are telling me to keep going,” Bayard said confidently. “I can’t fail… We take on the challenge to establish an airline worthy of its name in Haiti.”

Lucky 13: Sunrise is striving to celebrate its 13th anniversary

According to reports, Haiti launched its first domestic-based airline in the 1960s and has seen approximately 20 since then. Among the most notable defunct airlines are Air Haïti, which operated from 1969 to 1982, and Haïti Trans Air, which was in service from 1986 to 1995. Haïti Trans Air first started with flights to and from Miami in 1987 before expanding its routes to Kingston, Jamaica and San Juan, Puerto Rico.  The airline stopped flying partly because it failed to attract international passengers due to political turmoil and a subsequent economic embargo placed on Haiti after the military coup that ousted then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 1991. As a result, the Haiti-based carrier struggled financially and had no option but to cease operations.

One of the struggles for Haitian airlines as of late is remaining operational for extended periods, highlighting the difficulties they face in Haiti due to a lack of resources, political instability and economic problems. For instance, during the 21st century, no Haitian airline company has managed to consistently be the top provider of international flights in and out of Haiti, nor have the airlines remained operational for more than 13 years. Indeed,  Tortug’ Air, the longest-running Haitian airline this century, operated from 2003 to 2015.

Sunrise is in its 12th year of operation. So, it could pass Tortug’ Air next year and become the longest-running Haitian airline in the 21st century, which would be a significant milestone. The company started operating on December 21, 2012. However, it was founded in 2010, about two years prior.

Prior to founding Sunrise, Bayard became a pilot in 1975 after studying the field in Chile. He was initially a private pilot in Chile from 1974 to 1976, then jumped to commercial flights in Ottawa until 1978. After his time in Ottawa, Bayard returned to Haiti and worked for Haiti Air Inter, a now-defunct state-owned airline, from 1978 to 1982.

Bayard ended his career as a pilot prematurely because the then-dictator, President Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier, targeted him and his family. Bayard’s father was part of Duvalier’s regime and advocated for democracy, a move that Duvalier strongly disagreed with.

After his pilot career, Bayard pursued his ambitions for entrepreneurship and took over Tele Haiti in 1982, helping to provide foreign channels in Haiti, such as HBO and CNN. Throughout his entrepreneurial career, Bayard aimed to make a lasting investment; thus, he bought two small airplanes and rented them to Haitian airlines such as Carib Inter and Tortug’Air in the early 2000s. However, business was not smooth because the airlines did not pay him on time and often failed to fly the planes, which frequently needed repairs. Those struggles pushed Bayard to start his own airline, Sunrise.

Bayard named his company Sunrise Airways because when he used to practice karaté in Haiti, one of his favorite salutes was “Salut Haut de Soleil,” French for the “Sunrise Salute.” 

When Sunrise first started operating, it flew between Cap-Haïtien and Port-au-Prince, then to Turks and Caicos Islands. The airline now flies to 11 countries, mostly in the Caribbean. It owns 12 planes and employs about 240 people full-time. Bayard said that Sunrise’s most sought-after flight is the one to Miami. 

Simon has been flying with Sunrise for two years and has had four of his flights canceled during that period. He added that if Spirit Airlines resumes operations, he will choose it over Sunrise Airways for better service, even though the latter is a Haitian company. 

“Sunrise doesn’t care about me, so I don’t care about them either,” Simon, 61, said.

Sunrise challenges Haitian perception of ticket prices

Haitians often reprimand Sunrise for its ‘skyrocketing prices’ and say the company steps up when other airlines are out of operation to take advantage of its customers in the absence of competition. 

Sunrise’s managers said that Spirit operating Miami-Cap-Haïtien flights had caused them to temporarily cease their operations in Miami. There was not much demand while Spirit was flying. However, they added that Sunrise had planned to return to Miami even before the U.S. flights were banned in Haiti.

“It’s not fair that they always find ways to say negative things about you when you’re a Haitian company,” Sunrise’s manager in Cap-Haïtien, Sumaiya Jadotte-Skyes, said. “When we weren’t traveling in October, people flew on Spirit Airlines for the same ticket prices that they criticized Sunrise for.”

Delays and cancellations are a part of the industry’s operations, conceded Baryard. He added that American carriers’ flights also get delayed and canceled at times. But to him, Haitians criticize these companies less because they’re foreigners, it seems.

 Speaking on Radio Télé Métropole recently, Bayard discussed how the negative impact of insecurity, among other factors, has caused a dramatic increase in the costs of insurance requirements and carrier-imposed fees, thereby affecting Sunrise’s ticket prices.

Many are still grateful to Sunrise.

Despite the criticism, some Haitians are extremely elated that one remaining Haitian airline is still operating. Instead of harshly criticizing Sunrise Airways, they call on their fellow compatriots to support the company, especially since U.S. commercial airlines have suspended their flights to and from Haiti.

“I thank this airline because if it weren’t for them, no one would be able to travel,” Pierre Joseph, 49, said as he waited for his flight to Miami on Jan. 10. 

“They’re doing the Haitian community a great favor,” Joseph added. “There will always be some small inconveniences; nothing is perfect in life.”

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