American Airlines made its debut flight into Cap-Haitien today. President Michel Martelly and Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe were on board with several other dignitaries to join in the celebration. We gathered around the television and watched President Martelly’s speech from home and were only too keenly aware that we were witnessing history in the making. Not only was this American Airlines’ inaugural flight, but there are plans to do so much more in Haiti. I’ll share more about that in another post. President Martelly’s speech today breathed life into the Haitian people. He wore a purple t-shirt with the words, “Cap-Haitien, Open For Business.”

Since our children were small, there have been rumors of American Airlines flying to Cap-Haitien. In the past, they only flew to Port-au-Prince. We finally resigned ourselves to the fact that if it happens, it happens. Well, it has happened and this is wonderful news for us who have paid a hefty price just to fly from Cap-Haitien to Ft. Lauderdale, let alone a second and third leg to North Carolina.

It’s a new day in Haiti. After thirty-one years of seeing the worst of the worst happen in the poorest country in the western hemisphere, we are only too happy to watch Haiti rising from its ashes.