Airlines suspend Haiti flights as protests flare

US air carrier American Airlines has suspended flights to and from Haiti for Wednesday and Thursday after barricades were set up across the capital and running clashes broke out between rival political supporters.

"The airport and company's employees have been unable to get to work," said Miami-based spokeswoman Martha Pantin, announcing the cancellations.

"We continue to monitor the situation and hope to return as soon as possible," she said.

American, the main provider of international Haiti flights normally schedules three daily flights to Miami and one each to New York; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and San Juan, Puerto Rico through its American Eagle regional carrier.

Canada's Air Transat, which normally provides weekly flights to and from Port-au-Prince, catering to the large Haitian community in Montreal, pushed them back to Thursday for "security reasons," spokesman Pierre Tessier said.

He said both flights would take place Thursday if the security situation improved and advised travelers to check the company's website (airtransat.ca) for updates that will "depend on developments."

Protests and clashes broke out across Haiti late Tuesday when election results showed the ruling party presidential candidate Jude Celestin narrowly edging popular singer Michel Martelly out of the second round of voting.

At least one protester was killed in Haiti's second city Cap Haitien when gunfire broke out during a brawl between supporters of Celestin and Martelly.

The violence came hours after Martelly supporters flooded the streets, setting up flaming barricades and torching the ruling party's campaign headquarters in the capital Port-au-Prince.