FAA bans U.S. flights to Haiti for 30 days after gunfire hits Spirit plane
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A JetBlue Airlines plane takes off near Spirit Airlines planes at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Two U.S. airlines confirmed their planes had been struck by gunfire over Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince on Monday.
The latest: The Federal Aviation Administration is stopping all U.S. flights to Haiti for 30 days, per a Notice to Air Mission issued Tuesday.
- The FAA notice prohibits "U.S. civil aviation operations in the territory and airspace of Haiti below 10,000 feet for 30 days," according to a statement for the agency.
The big picture: A flight attendant on board "reported minor injuries and is being evaluated by medical personnel," Spirit Airlines said late Monday. JetBlue said one of its planes was "struck by a bullet" in the capital on Monday, too.
- The U.S. Embassy said in a security alert that it's aware of "gang-led efforts to block travel to and from" the city that "may include armed violence, and disruptions to roads, ports, and airports."
- Haiti has been in turmoil since the July 2021 assassination of its then-President Jovenel Moïse and armed gangs have for months had a stranglehold on the Caribbean nation, paralyzing its economy.
State of play: Spirit Airlines Flight 951 from Fort Lauderdale to Port-au-Prince was "diverted and landed safely in Santiago, Dominican Republic" following the incident, per an emailed statement from a company spokesperson.
- An inspection after the diverted plane landed "revealed evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire," the spokesperson said.
- A spokesperson for JetBlue said over email late Monday that while no issues were initially reported by the operating crew on Flight 935 from Port-au-Prince, "a post-flight inspection later identified that the aircraft's exterior had been struck by a bullet."
- All flights into and out of the that Port-au-Prince's Toussaint Louverture International Airport have been suspended following the incident, and the JetBlue spokesperson said the airline was pausing all flights to and from Haiti through Dec. 2.
Zoom out: The gunshots occurred on the same day as Haitian officials swore in a new prime minister, businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.
- A transitional council launched earlier this year with the goal of selecting a prime minister and bringing about the return of democratic elections to Haiti after an absence of eight years.
- But AFP notes the council has been blighted by infighting and corruption allegations and members clashed with interim prime minister Garry Conille, whom they fired on Sunday.
Go deeper: House Oversight Dems demand briefing on U.S.-to-Haiti gun trafficking
Editor's note: This article has been updated with details of the FAA's Notice to Air Mission.
