Gunfire has been reported to have hit a Spirit Airlines flight to Haiti on Monday, which reportedly injured a crew member and struck a separate flight from the country. The State Department has warned that it has been a gang-led effort to stop all travel to the Caribbean nation.
The airline confirmed in a statement that one of its flights, which was moving from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was diverted to the Dominican Republic on Monday; they further confirmed that the damages from the airline had shown that it was a gunfire attack.
Th statement further disclosed that one flight attendant who was onboard the aircraft sustained some minor injuries and has been sent to the medical team for attention, The statement on a positive note confirmed that no guest on the flight was reported to have sustained any injury.
Spirit further noted that all the operation bid for Haiti have been suspended as the evaluation of the incident was currently on going. The also confirmed that the plane was been taken off service for the time being. According to them a return flight has been arranged to take passengers back to Florida were the plane took off.
After the attack, the U.S. State Department issued an alert warning of some effort which was led by a gang to disrupt all travel to Haiti. The alert further cautioned Americans to stop all plans to travel to the nation.
Also on Monday, a post-flight inspection of the exterior of a JetBlue aircraft used for a trip from Port-au-Prince to New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport showed evidence that a round had struck it, the airline said in a statement.
No issues were initially reported by the operating crew, JetBlue stated.
The airline which has started an investigation into the incident has confirmed that all the lights to the area will be suspected for at least the 2nd of December 2024, the airline have stated that the suspension of it operations were due to the civil war unrest in the teriroty.
The American airlines have confirmed that all of its operations will be suspended form Miami to Port-au-Prince. The airline also disclosed that they will continue to keep tab with the development to ensure that security of person was priority while they will adjust all its operations as needed.
The State Departement also disclosed through an alert issued form from the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince on Monday that it was aware of a pause in operations at the city’s airport.
The statement noted the Embassy in Port-au-Prince was aware of gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince, which may include armed violence and disruptions to roads, ports, and airports.
The statement further noted that the State Department advises against travel to Haiti, which is still in the midst of violent political turmoil. Even travel within the Caribbean country is not recommended.
The embersy noted that it was important to consider the personal security of everyone before embearking on any travel especially to Haiti, the embassy further advised citizens to only embark on any travel within and outside the country if they feel safe to do so.
Haiti has been overcome by armed groups vying for control after a power vacuum was left by the assassination of democratically elected President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. Ariel Henry, the deeply unpopular prime minister at the time, assumed the role of president and failed to hold elections. The crisis has become deeper after he once again delayed elections this year; violence transpired as armed militias sank the country into civil unrest and put the lives of civilians in danger.
Henry said in April that he would resign once other Caribbean nations and parties broker a transitional government.
