Haiti’s main airport, Toussaint Louverture International, remains closed on Tuesday after a Spirit Airlines plane was shot at by gangs on Monday.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also announced on Tuesday that it will prohibit U.S. airlines from flying to Haiti for 30 days following the incident with Spirit Airlines.
What Happened?
A Spirit Airlines flight was hit by gunfire while trying to land in Haiti, the airline and federal officials said Monday.
The flight was en route from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Haiti’s capital city of Port-au-Prince when it had to be diverted to Santiago in the Dominican Republic, Spirit previously told Newsweek.
Following the flight’s arrival in Santiago, “an inspection revealed evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire,” Spirit’s statement said.
Spirit said that one flight attendant on the plane suffered minor injuries and is being medically evaluated. No passengers were injured. Neither Spirit nor the FAA identified the source of the gunfire.
What Remains Closed?
In response to Monday’s incident, the Toussaint Louverture International Airport remains closed on Tuesday with airlines suspending flights through at least Thursday.
However, it is unclear how long closures could go on.
In addition, life in much of the capital remains frozen after a wave of violence that saw gangs and police were locked in a fierce firefight just before Monday’s incident. Heavily armed police have continued to patrol outside the airport on Tuesday, and banks, government offices and schools have remained closed.
Odelyn Joseph/AP
Increasing Gang Violence in Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince has been overrun by gangs as United Nations officials estimate that 85 percent of Port-au-Prince is under gang control, creating a daily terror for the city’s residents.
Over 1,740 people were killed or injured in Haiti from July to September, according to the U.N. This is almost a 30 percent increase from the previous trimester. Most of the reported violence was killings, 1,223 killings to be exact, and gang violence is largely to blame. However, at least 106 extrajudicial killings were carried out by law enforcement.
While an international mission, led by Kenyan police, aims to curb the violence, resources and manpower are scarce, prompting calls for a larger UN peacekeeping force.
Gang violence began to spiral out of control after the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in 2021 by a group of foreign mercenaries. Garry Conille, an international aid official, was appointed as interim prime minister of Haiti in May just before the start of a U.N.-backed mission, led by 400 Kenyan police officers, that targeted Haitian criminals. The mission has struggled with a lack of funding and personnel.
Monday’s attack also came just as Haiti welcomed a new interim prime minister, businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, who was scheduled to be sworn into office, The Miami Herald reported.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
Update 11/12/24 3:03 p.m. ET: This story has been updated to include additional information.