On Wednesday, June 24, 2026, the Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved up to $69 million in non-reimbursable investment financing to modernize Les Cayes Airport and improve the transportation network in southern Haiti.

The works at Les Cayes Airport represent a key step toward strengthening connectivity and development in the country’s southern region. The investment plan is designed to upgrade aviation safety to international standards, providing a reliable alternative for the transport of passengers, cargo, and essential supplies. The works will be carried out in phases to gradually enable operations and expand the airport’s capacity to meet projected demand through 2045.

The investment plan includes widening the runway to 30 meters, upgrading the apron and pavement markings, installing aeronautical lighting and safer approach systems, deploying modern meteorological observation equipment, and constructing a perimeter fence.

The project also includes essential operational facilities, such as an air traffic control tower and a rescue and firefighting building.

The rehabilitation of priority sections of National Route 2 (RN2) will improve the region’s main access corridor, a vital connection to Port-au-Prince and the country’s principal economic centers. The program will support the structural rehabilitation of 11 kilometers of pavement along the Étang de Miragoâne–Carrefour Moussignac section, enabling more continuous, safer, and more reliable operation of this strategic roadway.

These interventions are aligned with other key investments, including the Port of Saint-Louis du Sud and the road link between Les Cayes and Jérémie, thereby strengthening the transport infrastructure network effect, improving connectivity, boosting trade and emergency response capacity, expanding access to markets and services, fostering job creation, and supporting regional integration, including links with the Caribbean.

The program will directly benefit 61,000 annual air transport users and 6,500 annual users of the RN2 corridor, who will experience more reliable travel, reduced travel times, and safer connectivity.

The program will also provide technical support to strengthen the institutional and operational capacity of the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communications (MTPTC), promoting the enhancement of its knowledge and technical expertise. This will contribute to improving project management and implementation, ensuring the sustainability of investments and greater efficiency in the maintenance and development of infrastructure over the long term.

HL/ HaitiLibre