Sunrise Airways' Dominance in Air Transport and Financial Mismanagement at the AAN: RNDDH Denounces Scandal

In a letter dated August 13, 2025, addressed to the Minister of Public Works, the National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH) denounces the monopoly situation enjoyed by Sunrise Airways in Haitian air transport, criticizes the quality of services offered, and highlights suspicions of corruption within the National Airport Authority (AAN). The organization demands immediate measures to regulate the market and protect consumers. This letter is addressed to Engineer Raphaël Hosty, Minister of Public Works, Transport and Communications. The human rights organization states that it has received numerous complaints concerning Sunrise Airways and the operations of the National Airport Authority (AAN). The organization accuses the State of having deliberately favored Sunrise Airways' monopoly since 2024, preventing any competition in the market. This lack of competition, according to the RNDDH, results in what it considers exorbitant prices, mediocre service quality, and abuses against consumers. The RNDDH specifically cites an interview given in July by the company's president, Philippe Bayard, in which he openly opposed opening the market to other airlines, without any official reaction from the authorities. The document also points to the poor quality of customer service: lack of assistance in case of delays or cancellations, insufficient explanations to passengers, and lack of support in case of missed connections. The organization also criticizes the company's baggage policy, accusing it of multiplying fees and forcing travelers to use cargo service for their additional suitcases, even when they are traveling solely with Sunrise Airways. The RNDDH extends its criticism to the operations of the AAN, denouncing the lack of decent reception conditions at Cap-Haïtien airport, where domestic flight passengers must wait standing in cramped spaces. Above all, the organization denounces serious financial irregularities and suspects acts of corruption: significant debts of Sunrise Airways to the Haitian State and the AAN, which were erased or reduced on several occasions by the current general director, Yves Ducarmel François, without ministerial authorization, according to information gathered by the RNDDH. These reductions, sometimes amounting to several hundred thousand dollars, were reportedly justified by the Covid-19 pandemic, but without clear compensation for the State. Recalling that consumer rights are part of fundamental human rights, this letter, signed by Rosy Auguste Ducena, Program Manager, and Pierre Espérance, Executive Director of the RNDDH, states that it is urgent to open the air market to competition, protect users against abuses, and preserve the country's financial interests. In this letter, of which the President of the CPT, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of the Interior have copies, the organization asks Minister Hosty to take immediate measures and to refer the matter to the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) to investigate the management of the AAN. Furthermore, on August 14, 2025, IBC Airways made its first cargo flight landing from Florida at the renovated Antoine Simon airport. This significant first will connect the South internationally, while the Haitian capital has been cut off internationally for months. The editorial staff