Following the dissemination of inaccurate information circulating on social networks, the private Haitian airline Sunrise Airways wishes to reestablish the facts and bring to the public's attention the rules that govern the air sector.

Authorization to take off and land at an airport is governed by the Air Traffic Control Service provided by OFNAC which follows the standards and rules of ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization).

On Saturday, November 18, due to severe weather affecting the entire region, Sunrise PAP-JBQ flights 216 and 2216, to La Isabella Airport which was closing, were canceled.

Sunrise flight 5216 operated by an Airbus A320, to Santo Domingo has received authorization to take off, Las Americas airport being open to air traffic. Meanwhile, heavy rains suddenly affected the Dominican capital. Like all other international flights to Las Americas in this time slot, the flight was diverted to La Romana, then Punta Cana. The flight crew members followed the instructions received from the Dominican Republic airport authority to bring the passengers safely to their port.

The aviation sector is rigorously regulated; a plane cannot take off without authorization from the authorities responsible for air traffic control. Airport authorities and crew members cannot contravene these regulations. In the case of Flight 5216, as with all our flights, all rules and procedures were followed.

As a reminder, cases of bad weather are cases of force majeure for which international regulations do not require the airline to compensate passengers.

Sunrise Airways, however, did everything possible to ensure that all passengers on the flight could reach Las Americas airport on the evening of November 18 by land at the company's expense.

Sunrise Airways is sorry that passengers had to experience this weather-induced experience and will continue to do everything possible to provide them with quality service, on both its domestic and international routes.

HL/ HaitiLibre