100 Canadians trapped in Haiti as violent protests continue

Roughly 100 Quebec tourists are trapped in Haiti, confined to the quarters of the Royal Decameron Indigo Beach Resort & Spa, a hotel in Côte des Arcadins, Haiti, after Air Transat declared it too risky to transport them to the Port-au-Prince airport.

Air Transat, which operates two scheduled flights between Port-au-Prince and Montreal, every Wednesday and Sunday, believes it is unable to safely secure the transfer to the airport for its customers, who had purchased an all-inclusive package to the property, part of Air Transat's hotel collection.

Violent street protests erupted in Haiti, attributed to rising inflation costs and the government's failure to "prosecute embezzlement from a multi-billion Venezuelan program that sent discounted oil to Haiti", a report from the Canadian Press says.

No way out

There is only one main highway linking only  the all-inclusive Royal Decameron Indigo Beach resort to the airport. As a result of protests and demonstrations, which have so far included setting cars ablaze, people are avoiding this route.

"They had to take a plane last Sunday and Wednesday. Unfortunately, the transfers could not be done for security reasons. There are barricades on several roads in the country, including the one leading to the airport. The situation is out of our control, because these obstacles vary according to the location of the events," Debbie Cabana, Air Transat spokesperson told PAX.

 Royal Decameron Indigo Beach Resort & Spa is roughly 75 kilometers from the airport.

Police escort or helicopter transport?

Travel consultant Nancy Trépannier from Odyssea Voyage has two clients who are currently stranded in Haiti.

"We exchange messages via Facebook Messenger," Trépannier told PAX in an interview. "Communication is not always good. I feel that Air Transat takes the situation seriously. They do what they can to ensure the safety of my clients. I hope things will get better soon and that they will be able to find a safe way to make the transfer."

A specially-chartered aircraft by Air Transat is waiting to get the group of Canadians home, and it hopes to fly out of Haiti by Sunday. But until it's safe for the airport transfer to come, that plane will not take off.

Air Transat remains in constant contact with those stuck at the hotel, as well as with the local authorities and the Canadian embassy to find a solution. As of yesterday, Canada's embassy in Haiti remains closed.

The airline is currently examining other methods to get its guests out of Haiti safely. One involves a police escort; the other, a helicopter pick-up.

"The first thing we need to look at is the number of passengers: the helicopters that are available can carry between two and four, so we're talking about an operation that would probably last about twenty hours. And the helicopter is not absolutely safe in the situation we are in today. What seems to be the best solution for us right now is a convoy," said Transat's vice president, Christophe Hennebelle, in an interview with La Presse Canadienne, stating that this decision had been made with Canadian authorities on site.

A divided country

Haiti is no stranger to political and social problems. The most recent violent demonstrations and social upheavals stem from demonstrators who demand the departure of Haitian president Jovenel Moïse for multiple reasons. 

The demonstrations have taken a deadly turn, as several people have died as a result of the violence.

The Government of Canada recommends its citizens to avoid all non-essential travel in the country.

Nevertheless, Air Transat and Air Canada's air operations are proceeding normally, although both airlines have taken the initiative to adapt their flexibility policy.

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