American Airlines halts flights to Haiti after discovering bullet damage

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American Airlines halts flights to Haiti after discovering bullet damage

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By Sky Industry News

Nov 13, 2024

American Airlines has suspended its nonstop service between Miami and Port-au-Prince, Haiti, following the discovery of bullet damage on a Boeing 737 MAX 8 during a post-flight inspection. The suspension will last until mid-February.

The decision comes in the wake of incidents involving other airlines. A Spirit Airlines Airbus A320neo diverted to Santiago, Dominican Republic, after gunfire was reported during its approach to Port-au-Prince. Similarly, JetBlue Airways confirmed that one of its A320s was also struck by a bullet.

In a statement obtained by CBS News Senior Transportation & National Correspondent Kris Van Cleave, American Airlines stated: “On Monday, Nov. 11, American Airlines flight 189 from Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP) to Miami International Airport (MIA) landed safely and uneventfully in Miami. Out of an abundance of caution, a post-flight inspection was completed, indicating the exterior of the aircraft had been impacted by a bullet. We are working closely with all relevant authorities to investigate this incident.”

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The aircraft involved in the incident is identified as N302SA according to Flightradar24 data. It operated flight AA819 from Port-au-Prince to Miami on Monday morning. After landing in Miami at 11:48 and arriving at Gate D37 at 12:18, it continued to operate several more flights before being inspected.

American Airlines did not specify when or where the bullet impact occurred but confirmed that all flights to Haiti would be suspended through February 12. The airline emphasized safety and security concerns as primary reasons for this decision: “Our daily service between Miami and Port-au-Prince has now been suspended through Feb. 12,” they told Van Cleave. “We will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed.”

This suspension is longer than the Federal Aviation Administration's recent ruling prohibiting all US civilian flights to and from Haiti for 30 days due to safety concerns.