A Spirit Airlines aircraft was subjected to a hail of bullets while attempting to land in Haiti on Monday, resulting in injuries to at least one flight attendant. The incident occurred at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, as confirmed by the airline.
The flight attendant sustained a minor injury when a bullet grazed them amidst the gunfire. The aircraft, which was peppered with bullet holes, was in the process of landing in Port-au-Prince. The aftermath of the incident revealed multiple bullet holes in the overhead bins and a plane door, as shown in footage obtained by local media outlet, Media Libre Haiti.
The aircraft, which was traveling from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was forced to divert to an airport in the Dominican Republic due to the incident. A spokesperson for the airline stated that the plane has been taken out of service and arrangements are being made to return the passengers and crew to Fort Lauderdale with a different aircraft.
The spokesperson further emphasized that the safety of their guests and team members is their utmost priority. As a result, the airline has temporarily suspended its services at Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien airports until further evaluation.
In the aftermath of the shooting, all other commercial flights at the Haiti airport were grounded. This incident comes just two weeks after the airline temporarily halted its flights to Haiti’s capital following a shooting incident involving gang members that hit a United Nations’ helicopter flying in the vicinity.