In an unprecedented series of events, airlines are suspending operations to and from Haiti after a Spirit Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale to Port-au-Prince was struck by gunfire. The flight was attempting to land at Toussaint Louverture International Airport on Monday when bullets hit the aircraft, injuring a flight attendant with debris and prompting an emergency diversion to the Dominican Republic’s Cibao International Airport.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Spirit Airlines Airbus A320, Flight 951, was only 550 feet above a neighborhood near Port-au-Prince when it was hit. Videos posted on social media and photos shared by the Dominican airport showed bullet holes in the fuselage and damage to the cabin interior.
A passenger aboard the Spirit flight, Jean-David Desrouleaux, described the frightening moments when passengers heard “clack, clack, clack…the metal inside the plane and the plastic just cracking.”
In Santiago, Dominican Republic, the aircraft was inspected, confirming damage consistent with gunfire. Forty-eight passengers were aboard, and all were safely rerouted to Florida on a replacement plane arranged by Spirit.
Following the incident, JetBlue confirmed that one of its aircraft, also departing from Port-au-Prince to JFK Airport in New York, had been hit by gunfire. Although the damage was only detected during a post-flight inspection, JetBlue promptly suspended all flights to Haiti through December 2, 2024. American Airlines similarly halted flights between Miami and Port-au-Prince pending a reassessment of security conditions.
“Our top priority remains the safety and well-being of our customers and crewmembers,” said JetBlue spokesperson Derek Dombrowski.
The U.S. Embassy in Haiti issued an alert advising that gang-led efforts to disrupt travel within the country include risks of armed violence around significant transit points, such as roads, ports, and airports. “The security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous,” the embassy stated, urging U.S. citizens to evaluate the risk before considering travel within the region.
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader strongly condemned the incident, calling it “a terrorist act” and advocating for armed gangs involved to be designated as terrorist organizations. Robert Sumwalt, former National Transportation Safety Board chairman, emphasized the importance of awareness in volatile regions where political instability and violence are increasing. Spirit Airlines has suspended flights to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien “pending further evaluation,” while other airlines are closely monitoring the situation.
This suspension of flights highlights the intensifying safety concerns in Haiti amid growing gang violence, as airlines and authorities prioritize passenger and crew safety over continued operations in the region.
Sources:
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/11/americas/haiti-spirit-airlines-jetblue-intl-latam/index.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/spirit-airlines-flight-haiti-florida-gunfire-dominican-republic
https://www.wyff4.com/article/staged-bear-attack-murder-arrest/62883673
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