US flights to Haiti suspended after Spirit, JetBlue and American planes struck by gunfire

Posted by Admin November 11, 2024 Travel

The Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice on Tuesday that prohibited U.S. airlines and other civilian aircraft from operating below 10,000 feet in Haitian airspace for 30 days. The advisory comes after jets from three U.S. airlines were struck by gunfire around the airport in Port-au-Prince on Monday.

A Spirit Airlines plane diverted to the Dominican Republic, and one crewmember was injured when it was apparently struck by gunfire while attempting to land at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Monday.

Flight NK951 was on its way from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Port-au-Prince when the incident happened, and it safely diverted to Santiago, Dominican Republic (STI).

“Following the flight’s arrival at STI, an inspection revealed evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire. One Flight Attendant on board reported minor injuries and is being evaluated by medical personnel. No Guest injuries were reported,” a Spirit Airlines spokesperson told USA TODAY in a statement. “The plane has been taken out of service, and we are arranging for a different aircraft to return our Guests and crew to FLL today. The safety of our Guests and Team Members is our top priority, and we have suspended our service at Port-au-Prince (PAP) and Cap-Haitien (CAP) pending further evaluation.”

A JetBlue flight was also apparently hit by gunfire while departing Haiti on Monday, but it continued safely to New York and the damage was not discovered until after it arrived at JFK, according to the airline.

“On Monday, November 11, JetBlue flight 935 from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, landed safely at New York’s JFK Airport. While no issues were initially reported by the operating crew, a post-flight inspection later identified that the aircraft’s exterior had been struck by a bullet. We are actively investigating this incident in collaboration with relevant authorities,” the airline said in a statement to USA TODAY.

American Airlines said one of its planes was also discovered to have been damaged by gunshots after returning from Haiti on Monday, but no injuries were reported.

“On Monday, Nov. 11, American Airlines flight 819 from Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP) to Miami International Airport (MIA) landed safely and uneventfully in Miami. Out of an abundance of caution, a post-flight inspection was completed, indicating the exterior of the aircraft had been impacted by a bullet. We are working closely with all relevant authorities to investigate this incident,” the airline said in a statement to USA TODAY.

American Airlines, JetBlue and Spirit, the only U.S. airlines that fly to Haiti, all have travel waivers in effect that allow passengers scheduled to fly to or from the country to change their plans at no additional cost. American said its flights to Haiti are suspended through Feb. 12.

The U.S. State Department issued a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for Haiti on Sept. 18 due to ongoing civil unrest in the country.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.