Flights between U.S., Haiti suspended amid gunfire striking passenger jets

Violence in Haiti led to the closure of Toussaint Louverture International Airport after gunfire struck a Spirit Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, trying to land Monday.

Spirit’s Flight 951 aiming for the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince was hit by gunshots and diverted to Cibao International Airport in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, where the plane landed at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

A flight attendant had minor injuries, and no passengers were hit by the gunshots, a Spirit Airlines spokesperson told the Miami Herald. The FAA has told pilots that all traffic into Toussaint is suspended through next Monday.

The plane was only 550 feet above the runway when it diverted course. Unnamed officials told ABC News that the FAA is considering banning flights from the U.S. to Haiti entirely.

The 48 passengers from Flight 951 were safely returned to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport at 9 p.m., according to Miami CBS affiliate WFOR-TV.

Spirit Airlines issued a travel advisory saying it won’t fly to the airports in Port-au-Prince and the northern Haitian city of Cap-Haitien through next Monday. Passengers can rebook without any fare difference until Nov. 25.

Another plane, JetBlue 935, landed successfully at the Port-au-Prince airport. When it flew back to John F. Kennedy International Airport later Monday, a post-flight inspection found it had also been struck by gunfire, according to Reuters.

JetBlue is now avoiding the Port-au-Prince airport through Dec. 2

American Airlines has also canceled its flights to Haiti, according to Reuters.

Gang violence has led the American Embassy in the Haitian capital to limit its operations, with all visa appointments and U.S. citizen services canceled. The embassy noted in a release that people shouldn’t come to Haiti and that if they’re already in the country, they should avoid the airport, crowds and going outside after dark.

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader mentioned the Spirit Airlines incident in his Monday press conference, saying, “This was a terrorist act; the countries that are following and helping Haiti should declare these armed gangs as terrorist groups,” according to the Miami Herald.