An unidentified assailant on the ground fired shots at a Spirit Airlines aircraft as it was landing in Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Haiti. A total of four shots were reported, with no deaths and one injury from a Spirit Flight attendant.
Spirit Airlines Arrival: the Latest
The incident occurred Monday during the tail-end of a flight from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida. The plane (N966NK) was making its approach in Port-au-Prince, Haiti when it was struck.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js🚨 #BREAKING . Flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, hit by gunfire over Haiti.
— United Alerts (@unitedalerts) November 11, 2024
Only one person was reported injured by a grazing bullet.
The flight was diverted to the Dominican Republic.
via . Miami Herald
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Four visible bullet holes were visible in the cabin. The Miami Herald reports that one of the bullets grazed a flight attendant.
The crew made the decision to divert the aircraft to Santiago, Dominican Republic. The flight attendant was also evaluated by medical personnel.
Spirit cancelled all flights to Haiti. The airline made arrangements to fly the passengers on board back to Florida on an alternate flight.
During an investigation, a Spirit Airlines spokesperson responded to ABC News for comment. The spokesperson confirmed that the aircraft experienced “damage consistent with gunfire”.
“The safety of our Guests and Team Members is our top priority, and we have suspended our service at Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien pending further evaluation,” the statement read.
Political Unrest in Haiti
Airlines at Toussaint airport suspended all flights after the incident. The U.S. Embassy in Haiti reported that a gang was in the vicinity looking to seize control of the airport around the same time the Spirit flight landed.
The unrest at the airport was related to a shift in authority on Sunday. Haiti has experienced constant upheaval for the past few years as multiple governments have formed, only later to collapse. With the lack of a steady government, rival gangs have grown in power to control areas of Haiti sparking frequent shortages of fuel, food, and safe drinking water.
This isn’t the first incident of unrest affecting flights in the region. Gang members also reportedly opened fire and hit a flying United Nations helicopter weeks ago. The helicopter with three crew members and 15 passengers aboard were not injured.
