US Suspends All Air Travel To Haiti For 30 Days After…

US Suspends All Air Travel To Haiti For 30 Days After Flight Hit By Gunfire

The United States has suspended air travel to Haiti for 30 days following instances of gunfire incidents on Monday.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Tuesday all U.S. civil flights in Haiti's airspace below 10,000 feet were now prohibited.

This decision came as a Spirit Airlines flight, traveling from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Haiti, was diverted after being hit by gunfire, as it attempted to land in Port-au-Prince.

According to Haiti's civil aviation authority, the Spirit Airlines plane was hit by gunfire four times when it was trying to land at Toussaint Louverture Airport in Port-au-Prince, following which it was diverted safely to Santiago in the Dominican Republic.

No passengers were injured, though one flight attendant reported minor injuries and was receiving a medical evaluation, ABC News reported.

Flight data from FlightRadar24 showed that the Spirit Airlines plane came within 550 feet of the runway before aborting its landing and diverting to the Dominican Republic.

Meanwhile, JetBlue reported that a flight from Haiti to New York City was also struck by a bullet, prompting the airline to suspend all flights to and from the country until Dec. 2.

American Airlines also shared that one of its flights was hit by gunfire, while in Haitian airspace. American Airlines' Flight 819 had landed safely in Miami, but a post-flight inspection found a bullet had struck the plane's exterior. In response, the airline suspended its daily flights between Miami and Port-au-Prince until Feb. 12, stating they would continue to monitor the situation and adjust operations for safety.

The American Pilots Association confirmed that a bullet hole was found in the American Airlines flight. The association said it will stay in close contact with the airline regarding the situation in Haiti and will be involved in any decisions about resuming flights, in coordination with the FAA.

Earlier this year, the announcement of Fritz Bélizaire as the new prime minister of Haiti led to a spate of attacks in the country by gangs, who burned houses and cross-fired with police officers for many hours. The main international airport has been shut for the last two months amid ongoing gang violence in the country.

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