A plane traveling from the US state of California to the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince was hit by bullets as it was landing. A flight attendant was slightly injured in the incident and the plane was taken out of service.
A Spirit Airlines plane carrying passengers from the US state of California to the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince was hit by gunfire from suspected gang members while landing.
Spirit Airlines Flight 951, which was hit by bullets, landed safely at Santiago Airport in the Dominican Republic.
According to BBC, Spirit Airlines said that damage “consistent with gunfire” had been found when the plane was inspected at Santiago Airport. The aircraft was taken out of commission, by Spirit Airlines.
During inspection, they found ‘damage consistent with gunshot damage,’ the airline reported. The aircraft was retired from service.
Passengers who landed in the Dominican Republic were taken back to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on a new plane, the spokesperson said. “The safety of our passengers and flight attendants is our top priority, and we have suspended service in Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien until further notice. ”
Two other US airlines, American Airlines and JetBlue, have also suspended flights to Haiti until at least Thursday.
Following the incident, all commercial flights at Haiti’s capital Toussaint Louverture International Airport were suspended, while all airlines in the United States also suspended flights to Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
According to the United Nations (UN) Integrated Office in Haiti, 3,900 people have died as a result of attacks by armed gangs since the beginning of 2024, 1,374 of whom died in the last 6 months.
Haiti, which has been struggling with fundamental problems such as political, economic, and security crises for many years, is in danger of famine with its population exceeding 11 million.
Violence is on the rise in the country, where 80 percent of the capital, Port-au Prince, is controlled by armed gangs.
