Around 11:30 AM local time today, November 11th, Spirit Airlines flight 951 was forced to make a landing in the Dominican Republic due to gunfire. Two additional American flights were also rerouted as a precaution. Following the event, Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Haiti is presently closed.
The exact cause of the gunfire is currently unknown. In October, an armed gang opened fire on a United Nations helicopter. Whether the two instances are related is unknown at the time of this writing. Fortunately, the United Nations helicopter shooting did not result in any fatalities. Regretfully though, one flight attendant was grazed by a bullet during the Spirit Airlines shooting, and the injury is currently being assessed.
Let’s examine the incident’s most recent developments in more detail, as well as a recent Spirit Airlines statement.
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Spirit Airlines Flight 951 From Fort Lauderdale To Haiti Diverted Over Gunfire
An aircraft en route to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from Fort Lauderdale had to make an emergency landing in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The plane was hit by gunfire on Monday morning. Flight 951 took off from Fort Lauderdale and made a safe landing. Both the emergency exit doors and the overhead compartments of the aircraft are clearly damaged.
Medical staff are now assessing one flight attendant who has minor injuries. There were no injuries among the passengers, though. Currently, all travelers and staff will be returned to Fort Lauderdale via another aircraft.
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Spirit Airlines Released A Statement Regarding Flight 951
Spirit Airlines at Chicago O’Hare International Airport
After the frightening occurrence, Spirit Airlines just issued a statement. The flight’s suspension for additional assessments was currently the highest priority.
The statement reads, “Spirit Airlines flight 951 from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Port-au-Prince (PAP) diverted and landed safely in Santiago, Dominican Republic (STI). Following the flight’s arrival at STI, an inspection revealed evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire. One Flight Attendant on board reported minor injuries and is being evaluated by medical personnel. No Guest injuries were reported. The plane has been taken out of service, and we are arranging for a different aircraft to return our Guests and crew to FLL today. The safety of our Guests and Team Members is our top priority, and we have suspended our service at Port-au-Prince (PAP) and Cap-Haitien (CAP) pending further evaluation.”
Hours before Haiti’s new prime minister was sworn in, the incident occurred. For the time being, travelers are being advised by the U.S. State Department not to plan flights to Haiti.