A Spirit Airlines flight was struck with gunfire while attempting to land at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Monday, November 12.
The plane, which had departed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at around 9 a.m., had been rerouted to Santiago in the Dominican Republic, where it landed safely and was taken out of service. Spirit confirmed that one flight attendant had sustained minor injuries, while the rest of the passengers and crew had remained unscathed.
Videos posted on social media showed damage to a row of overhead compartments and a bullet hole near the exit of the plane. A photo released by the Dominican Republic’s Cibao International Airport also shows the appearance of the bullet holes on the exterior of the plane.
The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince sent out an alert to American citizens on the flight after the incident. “The US Embassy in Port-au-Prince is aware of gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince which may include armed violence, and disruptions to roads, ports and airports. … The security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous. Travel within Haiti is conducted at your own risk. The US government cannot guarantee your safety traveling to airports, borders, or during any onward travel,” it read.
According to the U.S. State Department, the flight had been the target of gang-led efforts to stop travel to the country, and Americans have been cautioned against going. Additionally, Spirit and several other airlines have elected to suspend flights to Haiti. In a statement, Spirit Airlines said, “The safety of our guests and team members is our top priority, and we have suspended our service at Port-au-Prince (PAP) and Cap-Haitien (CAP) pending further evaluation.” The company had previously halted flights to Haiti from March to May following gang violence across the country.
Soon after the incident, JetBlue also discovered that one of its planes flying from Haiti had been raked by gunfire, suspending flights to Haiti until Dec. 2. American Airlines followed suit, canceling services to the island nation. “We will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed,” the carrier said in a statement.
