US bans flights to Haiti for a month after gunfire hit Spirit airliner

The Federal Aviation Administration has banned US flights to Haiti for the next month after a flight was hit with gunfire while trying to land in the Caribbean nation.

The FAA made the announcement on Tuesday, one day after a Spirit Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale to Port-au-Prince diverted to the Dominican Republic after it was struck by gang gunfire during its descent toward Toussaint Louverture International Airport. One flight attendant suffered minor injuries.

The airline JetBlue also announced one of its flights was damaged by gunfire while leaving Haiti, CNN reports.

The FAA said they made the call “due to safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing security instability.”

Authorities at Toussaint Louverture International Airport halted all commercial flights on Monday, effective until November 18. Flight tracking showed JetBlue Airways and Amerijet cargo planes diverting away from Haiti following the incident.

The United Nations also announced its flights to Haiti are grounded in light of Monday’s violence.

“As a result, all UN flights have been suspended, obviously limiting the flow of humanitarian aid and humanitarian personnel into the country,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday.

In October, gang gunfire hit a United Nations helicopter, forcing it to return to the airport. No one was injured.

Spirit Airlines resumed flights to Haiti in May following a two-month pause in commercial operations due to widespread gang violence across the country.

Police guard the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, which is now closed after gang gunfire struck a descending Spirit Airlines flight on Monday (AFP via Getty Images)

The American Embassy in Port-au-Prince has also issued an alert warning US citizens to avoid travel to Haiti.

“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 alert reads.

“The security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous,” the alert continues. “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.”