FORT LAUDERDALE – Hundreds of travelers hoping to leave South Florida on Tuesday for Haiti were forced to cancel plans after learning their flights had been canceled.
All major airlines have once again halted travel to the island nation due to gang violence.
“We thought we were gonna die. I want to appeal to the Haitian government, these are the things we see in the movies,” said Valerie Victor.
On Monday morning, she was among the 48 passengers on board Spirit Flight 951 forced to make an unscheduled round trip back to Fort Lauderdale after their flight was disrupted by gunfire.
Originally bound for Port-au-Prince, the plane encountered gunfire near Toussaint Louverture International Airport, believed to be from nearby gang members.
The plane was struck multiple times while it was about 600 feet from the ground, just moments before it was scheduled to land.
One flight attendant reported minor injuries, but no injuries were reported among passengers.
The flight was diverted to Santiago, Dominican Republic, where the plane landed safely. Later in the day, the passengers were put on a different Spirit plane and flown back to Fort Lauderdale.
In a related incident, a JetBlue plane on the tarmac at the time of the shooting was also fired on. When it landed in New York a bullet hole was found in it during a post-flight inspection.
The shots were reportedly fired by gang members, who in a video released Sunday, vowed more violence after the prime minister was replaced.
Prime Minister Gary Conille was ousted on Sunday and Alix Didier Fils-Aimé was installed as the new prime minister on Monday afternoon.
The U.S. Embassy in Haiti issued a statement, advising that “the security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous. Travel within Haiti is conducted at your own risk. The U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety.”
Toussaint Louverture International Airport is now closed, and flights to and from Haiti have been canceled for the foreseeable future.
As for when flights will resume, some airlines are predicting early December.
