Multiple airlines canceled flights to and from Haiti on Monday after a Spirit Airlines plane was shot while flying over capitol city Port-au-Prince.
The Fort Lauderdale-to-Haiti flight was diverted to Santiago in the Dominican Republic after a crew member reported minor injuries. After landing, an inspection found “evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire,” according to CNN.
The network said radar data showed the plane approaching Toussaint Louverture International Airport and pulling back up suddenly after dropping to about 550 feet in order to land. Radar tracking also showed a number of planes diverting from the airport.
The airport suspended all operations after the incident. All U.S.-based carriers said flights to Port-au-Prince were canceled through Tuesday. International commercial carriers were following suit, according to Al-Jazeera.
The airline said the crew member was being treated and the plane had been taken out of service. It added that flights to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien had been suspended. Sunrise Airways, a Haitian carrier, JetBlue and American Airlines had also halted service until at least later this week.
A return flight for the passengers and crew to Fort Lauderdale was being arranged on another plane, according to the Miami Herald.
“The U.S. 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 State Department said in an alert.
Widespread gang violence has led to unrest across Haiti since President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in 2021. In October, a United Nations helicopter took on gunfire while flying over the capital city. During a separate incident that month, U.S. embassy vehicles were shot at in the city.
Monday’s incident came hours before businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aime was set to be sworn in as the new prime minister after the country’s ruling presidential council surprisingly ousted Garry Conille from the position on Sunday.
