Travel

MIAMI — American Airlines restarted nonstop flights between Miami and Cap-Haïtien on Nov. 1. It had halted Haiti service in November 2024, after ground fire hit aircraft flown by American, JetBlue and Spirit near Port-au-Prince. One Boeing 737 round trip runs daily, with connections to more than 90 U.S. cities through Miami. The first flight carried an all-Haitian crew. Aviation Week, citing OAG data, reports that American is now the largest carrier at Cap-Haïtien, with 2,408 two-way weekly seats. The Haitian capital's main airport remains closed to U.S. carriers under FAA restrictions, and only the domestic carrier Sunrise Airways serves it. Cap-Haïtien lies outside the restricted zone. The State Department's Do Not Travel advisory for Haiti remains in force. Whether JetBlue or others return to Haiti, and whether the FAA eases its Port-au-Prince limits, are the open questions.

NAPLES — Naples International Airport closed to all air traffic on Nov. 1 and will stay shut through Nov. 30, 2026. The airport operator, GESAC, is using the closure to rehabilitate the runway and selected taxiways and to upgrade related operational systems. It describes the work as part of a €30 million programme meant to improve long-term safety and reliability. Some flights are being redirected to Salerno Costa d'Amalfi Airport, about 50 kilometres southeast of Naples. GESAC and the transport operator Busitalia Campania have added bus links between Naples' Piazza Garibaldi railway station and Salerno airport. Passengers booked to or from the Naples area this month should check with their airlines for the alternative airport and any revised schedules. Aviation24.be, citing GESAC and the ANSA news agency, reports the closure was scheduled in advance.

FAKARAVA, French Polynesia — November falls in the low season at Fakarava, a UNESCO biosphere reserve in the Tuamotu Islands. One guide describes October to May as quieter and cheaper, with grey reef sharks still present. The south pass, Tumakohua, holds the "wall of sharks", a mass of grey reef sharks that DAN's Alert Diver magazine says can reach about 500 animals. The wall sits at roughly 25 to 27 metres, and Advanced certification is recommended. The north pass, Garuae, is wider and has stronger current, so it suits drift-experienced divers. Tahiti Tourisme says great hammerheads are more common at nearby Rangiroa from December to March. The big grouper-spawning spectacle at Fakarava comes in June and July, so it is not the draw now. Sources differ on rain, and DAN lists November to April as the wet season. From Memphis, the trip is a multi-leg itinerary: a connection to a U.S. West Coast gateway, a flight to Papeete, then Air Tahiti, which flies daily to the main atolls.

SINGAPORE — Singapore's National Parks Board intends to let divers back into Sisters' Islands Marine Park later in 2026. Minister of State Alvin Tan announced the plan at the Asia Dive Expo in April. Diving was suspended in November 2021 for enhancement works. The park reopened to non-diving visitors in October 2024. Access will be through approved operators. Reporting from the time said operators were still waiting on key details: how large the dive area will be, how many operators will be approved, and the logistics. Divers will need certification beyond entry level and at least 20 logged dives, including one local dive in the past two years. The earlier guided trails were small. They ran at about 4 to 6 metres on the shallow loop and 10 to 16 metres on the deep loop, and visibility in Singapore waters is limited. The site is mainly of interest to divers already passing through Southeast Asia. From Memphis it means long-haul connections to Changi.

ILULISSAT, Greenland — Ilulissat, gateway to the UNESCO-listed Icefjord and Disko Bay, opened a new international airport on Oct. 29. A 2,200-meter runway replaces an 845-meter strip. Air Greenland's inaugural Copenhagen flight carried 169 passengers, including Greenland's prime minister. Winter service is a Jettime 737 mostly on Wednesdays, with extra Monday flights around Christmas, New Year and March 1-27. Air Greenland's A320neo takes over in April, with up to six weekly flights from mid-June to early September. Fares start at DKK 3,438 one-way from Copenhagen. Danish regulators attached temporary operating limits, and full operations are targeted for summer 2027. Memphis has no listed nonstop to Copenhagen, so travelers would connect through a major hub. The State Department rates Greenland Level 2 for extreme weather and thin emergency services. Rescue can take days, and medical evacuation insurance is advised. A passport valid 90 days past departure is required.

NESQUEHONING, Pa. — A retaining wall supporting Route 209 collapsed on Oct. 31 in Nesquehoning, Carbon County. Rock fell onto the railroad below, and the highway closed between Routes 903 and 93 near Jim Thorpe. The Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway cancelled Saturday's trips. It has since said Autumn Leaf trains will run from the Nesquehoning Regional Railroad Station into Lehigh Gorge State Park from Nov. 2 through Nov. 8. PennDOT began emergency repairs Nov. 1 and is working around the clock. It estimates the highway will reopen in six to eight weeks, a timeline that could change. The adjoining rail line could reopen sooner, but no date has been set. Visitors should confirm departures with the railway and expect detours around the closure. From Memphis, the nearest practical approach is a flight to the Philadelphia or New York area and a drive of roughly two hours; confirm routing before booking.