A Spirit Airlines flight was reportedly struck by gunfire on Monday (November 11, 2024) when it was entering Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. The flight was travelling from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and had to divert to the Dominican Republic after it was shot and safely landed in Santiago.
According to reports, a flight attendant suffered a flesh wound when they were grazed by a bullet. There is no report of any other injuries, but the incident is alarming.
A statement from the airline shared that “an inspection revealed evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire.” As a result of the incident, crew and guests would return to Fort Lauderdale in a different aircraft.
Additionally, the airline suspended all future flights to Port-au-Prince (PAP) and Cap-Haitien (CAP). Other airlines, including JetBlue and Amerijet, were also forced to divert to other destinations due to gunfire in Haiti. Similarly, a United Nations helicopter was shot in October while travelling over Port-au-Prince, but no one was hurt. The helicopter had to return to the airport.
While the US Embassy acknowledged that there are currently gang-led efforts to obstruct travel to and from Port-au-Prince, it is not clear if the incident with Spirit Airlines was a result of said efforts. Residents in the United States have been warned by the government to travel at their own risk when going to Haiti because the US government cannot guarantee their safety.
Haiti has become a violent country since gangs violently rose against the government in March and overpowered the country’s prime minister. More than 4,600 prisoners were freed from jail, and Port-au-Prince was cut off from the world after they closed the airport. There are no clear signs of when authorities will reclaim the country. A number of Haitians have attempted to flee the country, presumably due to the dreadful conditions, by sailing to Jamaica and entering the country illegally, but they returned to Haiti.
