Spirit Airlines suspends flights after gunfire incident near Haitian airport

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Global Industry News

Spirit Airlines suspends flights after gunfire incident near Haitian airport

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A321XLR | Airbus

By Sky Industry News

Nov 13, 2024

A Spirit Airlines flight en route from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was struck by gunfire as it neared its destination. The incident led the crew to divert the aircraft to Santiago in the Dominican Republic.

Spirit Airlines issued a statement saying, "Spirit Airlines flight 951 from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Port-au-Prince (PAP) diverted and landed safely in Santiago, Dominican Republic (STI)." Upon arrival in Santiago, an inspection found damage consistent with gunfire. One flight attendant sustained minor injuries and is currently being evaluated by medical personnel. No passengers were injured. Spirit Airlines has taken the plane out of service and arranged for another aircraft to return passengers and crew to Fort Lauderdale.

The airline stressed that "the safety of our Guests and Team Members is our top priority," leading them to suspend services at Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien pending further evaluation.

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In response to the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration imposed a 30-day ban on civil flights to Haiti. JetBlue also reported bullet damage on one of its planes following a flight from Haiti.

The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince has advised Americans against traveling to Haiti due to potential protests and unrest. They noted that operations at Toussaint L’Ouverture Airport were temporarily halted and warned that travel within Haiti carries significant risks that cannot be guaranteed safe by the U.S. government.

This event occurs amid increasing violence and instability in Haiti. Recently, a U.N. helicopter was also hit by gunfire over Port-au-Prince, highlighting ongoing political tensions after interim Prime Minister Garry Conille was replaced by Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.