US airlines' planes hit by bullets over Haiti amid gang violence

By Phan Anh November 12, 2024 | 05:51 am PT

Two U.S. airlines said that their planes were struck by bullets while flying over Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince, leading to one crew member being injured and prompting Haitian authorities to temporarily halt air traffic in and out of the city.

An incident occurred on Monday when a Spirit Airlines flight, Flight 951, was preparing to land at Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint Louverture international airport. The flight, which had departed from Florida, was struck by gunfire, injuring a crew member, CNN reported.

Following the attack, the plane was diverted to the Dominican Republic for an emergency landing. In response to the incident, Spirit Airlines suspended all flights to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien, the another Haitian city.

Haitian aviation authorities also grounded all flights at Port-au-Prince's airport, with the suspension expected to last until at least Nov. 18.

Another U.S.-based carrier, JetBlue, said one of its planes was also hit by bullets while returning from Haiti, The Guardian reported. The airline, along with American Airlines, have temporarily suspended flights from and to Haiti.

Haiti has been grappling with widespread gang activities for nearly a year. Last month, a United Nations helicopter was also struck by gunfire while flying over Port-au-Prince.