Chancerelles Airport / Bowen Field

The airport was closed following the construction and opening of the much larger and more modern François Duvalier International Airport (now known as Toussaint Louverture International Airport, MTPP/PAP). The new airport was built further from the city center to accommodate the larger jet aircraft of the era, such as the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8, which Bowen Field's shorter runways and urban proximity could not handle.

The former airport site has been completely absorbed by the urban expansion of Port-au-Prince. The area at the specified coordinates is now a densely populated mix of residential, commercial, and industrial zones, located within the Chancerelles neighborhood and adjacent to Cité Soleil. There are no visible remnants of the runways, taxiways, or airport buildings. The land has been entirely redeveloped over the past 50+ years.

Chancerelles Airport, historically known as Bowen Field, was the primary airport for Port-au-Prince and Haiti for several decades. Its history has two distinct phases:

1. **Military Airfield (c. 1919-1934):** The airfield was established by the United States Marine Corps during the U.S. occupation of Haiti. It was named Bowen Field in honor of 1st Lieutenant Robert S. Bowen, a Marine aviator killed in a plane crash in Haiti in 1920. It served as the main base for Marine aviation units, which conducted reconnaissance, mail delivery, medical transport, and air support missions throughout the country.

2. **Commercial Airport (1934-1965):** After the U.S. military departed in 1934, Bowen Field was converted into Haiti's main civilian and commercial airport. It became the international gateway to the country, handling flights from major carriers like Pan American World Airways (Pan Am). Pan Am operated routes connecting Port-au-Prince with Miami, Kingston, Santo Domingo, and other key destinations in the Americas, using aircraft like the Douglas DC-3, DC-4, and Lockheed Constellation. It was the center of Haitian aviation until it was superseded.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening Chancerelles Airport / Bowen Field. The site is fully and densely developed, making any attempt to reconstruct an airport logistically impossible and economically unfeasible. Haiti's international aviation needs are served by Toussaint Louverture International Airport.