Wed, Nov 13, 2024
Carrier Suspends Service into Haiti Until Further Notice
On November 11, a Spirit Airlines Airbus A320neo traveling from Florida to Haiti was forced to divert after being hit by gunfire during its approach to landing. A flight attendant was injured by debris and Spirit, along with other carriers, have temporarily suspended flights into Haiti.
Two other flights were inbound to Port-au-Prince's Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP) at the time of the incident and were diverted as a precaution.
Spirit Airlines Flight 951 departed from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) at around 9:00 am with 48 passengers. Around an hour and 40 minutes later, it had almost completed its descent when it allegedly began to take gunfire from a local gang. The crew climbed and circled back to land at Cibao International Airport (STI) in the Dominican Republic.
Spirit assured that the flight was able to make a safe landing. One flight attendant received minor injuries, but no passenger injuries were reported. The damaged aircraft is now grounded for inspection and repair.
Shortly after the incident, Port-au-Prince’s US Embassy published a security alert confirming the large presence of violent gang activity in the area.
“The security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous,” the statement read. “Travel within Haiti is conducted at your own risk. The U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety traveling to airports, borders, or during any onward travel. You should consider your personal security situation before traveling anywhere in Haiti.”
Spirit canceled upcoming flights into both Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien after the incident. It will be resuming services to Haiti after further evaluation.
American Airlines and JetBlue quickly followed suit, with both suspending flights to and from Haiti through Thursday.
“We will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed," American stated.
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