Airport in southwest Haiti ready for international flights after violence halts flights to capital

Haitian officials say an airport in the country’s southwest region is ready to receive international flights for the first time. No commercial flights are able to land at Haiti's main airport in Port-au-Prince because of persistent gang violence. The Antoine Simon Airport in the coastal city of Les Cayes had been operating for almost two decades before renovations began in 2013 to extend its runway. Officials said Wednesday it is now Haiti’s third international airport. The development is expected to boost the local economy and provide a new way for some nonprofits to distribute sorely needed aid.