Update on aviation situation in Haiti (1/14/10, 3:40 PM)

Christopher Fotos of Aviation Week's Things with Wings Commercial Aviation Blog, posted an an article with links to reports from the Wall Street Journal on the opening of the Toussaint Louverture International Airport and other relief efforts, and the relief efforts of American Airlines. In addition to the information provided by Things with Wings, I just found a NY Times articles with more aviation related information.

According to this Wall Street Journal article, troops from the U.S. Southern Operations Command led efforts to repair the quake damaged Air Traffic Control Tower at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport (MTPP). The good news is that MTPP is now open for 24/7 operations. The article also reports on the deployment of other relief teams from the U.S. and elsewhere.

For an update on the relief efforts on American Airlines go here (another Wall Street Journal article). As I reported earlier today, American Airlines efforts are restricted to the very important role of flying in supplies and equipment, notably water, food, and other supplies. They are unable to fly in passengers at the moment.

Unfortunately, while MTPP is open, there are other problems at the airport as reported by this NY Times article. To summarize, airplanes are backed up at MTPP, both on the ground and in the air. The airport is crowded with civilian and military aircraft on the ground, some waiting to be unloaded. Additional airplanes, including cargo transports are stacked in the air waiting to land on the one runway. There are also reports of shortages of aviation fuel, the result being that some aircraft are unable to leave because of these aviation fuel shortages. The article also discusses problems arising from the damage to the seaport, and difficulty in travel by road in and around Port Au Prince including travel by ground out of the airport.

copyright 2010 K. Tyler Miller