SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A Federal Aviation Administration ban on U.S. commercial flights to Haiti’s capital that expired Monday has been extended to March 7, 2026 because of the risk that powerful gangs might attack flights with drones and small arms.

The FAA noted that Haitian gangs now control 90% of Port-au-Prince as well as nearby strategic routes and border areas.

“Haitian (foreign terrorist organizations) maintain access to small arms and unmanned aircraft systems capable of reaching low-altitude phases of flight,” the FAA said in a statement Friday.

In May, the U.S. government designated a powerful gang coalition known as Viv Ansanm as a foreign terrorist organization.

The coalition had forced Haiti’s main international airport in Port-au-Prince to close for nearly three

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