A Spirit Airlines flight attendant was injured after an aircraft was struck by several rounds of gunfire while trying to land in Haiti.
Flight 951 departed for Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince from Fort Lauderdale, Florida around 9 a.m. on Monday, according to FlightAware. As the plane went to touch down on the tarmac, it came under gang gunfire, a source at the US Embassy in Port-au-Prince told The Independent.
The plane then diverted to Cibao International Airport in Santiago, Dominican Republic, where it safely landed at 12.33pm.
Medical personnel evaluated the flight attendant for minor injuries after the ordeal, and no other injuries were reported. The airline’s passengers in the Dominican Republic will be transported back to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport later on Monday using a different aircraft. The plane used for the Haiti flight sustained gunfire damage and has been taken out of service.
The gunfire prompted authorities at Toussaint Louverture International Airport to halt all commercial flights on Monday. Flight tracking showed JetBlue Airways and Amerijet cargo planes diverting away from Haiti following the incident.
Spokespeople for both JetBlue and American Airlines told The Independent that the companies have canceled flights to and from Haiti until Thursday. Spirit Airlines said it would be suspending operations at Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien pending further evaluation.
In a statement, the airline said: “Flight 951 from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Port-au-Prince (PAP) diverted and landed safely in Santiago, Dominican Republic (STI). Following the flight’s arrival at STI, an inspection revealed evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire.”
It added: “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 US Embassy in Port-au-Prince sent out an alert to US citizens on the flight after the incident, writing: “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.” The US government is warning its citizens not to travel to the country.
Citizens already in Haiti should avoid crowds, keep a low profile and carry proper identification. The attack came a few hours before Haiti’s government was set to swear in a new prime minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aime, after Prime Minister Garry Conille was forced out of office via executive order.
Spirit Airlines resumed flights to Haiti in May following a two-month pause in commercial operations following widespread gang violence across the country.
In October, gang gunfire hit a United Nations helicopter, forcing it to return to the airport. No one was injured.
