A Spirit Airlines plane from Florida was hit by gunfire while preparing to land in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. Following the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration reported that the flight was diverted to Santiago in the nearby Dominican Republic. During the attack, a crew member sustained minor injuries due to flying debris.
For safety reasons, two other flights bound for Toussaint Louverture Airport were also redirected, and the airport was temporarily closed.
The Airbus A320 had taken off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, and according to tracking data from Flightradar24, a Swedish service that provides flight tracking, the aircraft was about 550 feet above ground when it swiftly changed its route. The airline confirmed that there were 48 passengers on board and that subsequent inspections revealed damage consistent with gunfire.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince issued a security advisory highlighting that armed groups are attempting to block transportation routes and are using violent means to disrupt traffic on roads, ports, and airport facilities. The embassy also urged travelers to carefully assess safety risks before heading to the Caribbean country.
While awaiting further evaluations, all flights to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien have been suspended, with other carriers, including American Airlines, also halting services at present. JetBlue extended its suspension of flights until December 2 after discovering that one of its planes had also been struck by a bullet on the route from Port-au-Prince to New York, with the damage detected only upon arrival at JFK Airport.
Yesterday, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, succeeding Garry Conille, who resigned after just five months, was sworn in as Haiti’s new prime minister with a mandate to restore order and stability. The Haitian population continues to endure severe conditions marked by daily abuses. According to a recent report from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, more than 3,600 people have already been killed in 2024.
