U.S. aviation regulators have suspended U.S. airline flights to Haiti for at least 30 days after three shootings in one day on flights departing from the Caribbean country.
JetBlue, Spirit and American Airlines planes were all hit by bullets after flying into the capital Port-au-Prince on Monday.
The attack on the Spirit plane left one flight attendant with minor injuries but no passengers injured.
Last Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Notam (Notice to Air Force Missions) banning the flight due to “flight safety risks associated with persistent security insecurity.”
U.S. flights are now not allowed within 10,000 feet (3,048 m) of Haitian territory or airspace.
Separately, the FBI said it was involved in the investigation into the Spirit shooting.
“The FBI is aware of this incident and is cooperating with our law enforcement partners,” the FBI said. “As this is an ongoing matter we have no further comment.”
Increasingly violent gang wars are taking place. The poorest country in the Americas More than 3,600 people have died in Haiti since January and more than 500,000 have been forced to flee their homes following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, according to the United Nations.
The country has close ties with the United States, home to a large Haitian diaspora.
All three U.S. airlines involved had already independently suspended flights following the attack.
- American Airlines announced Tuesday that one of its planes, American Flight 819, was hit by a bullet in Haiti. The damage was discovered during a post-flight inspection after landing in Miami, Florida.
- JetBlue Flight 634, returning from Port-au-Prince, was found bullet damaged after landing in New York.
- Spirit Airlines Flight 951 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was struck by gunfire as it attempted to land in Port-au-Prince. It detoured to the nearby Dominican Republic and landed safely at Santiago Airport.
The U.S. Embassy in Haiti said in a statement that it was “aware of gang efforts to prevent travel to Port-au-Prince” and that “the security situation in Haiti remains unpredictable and dangerous.”
Monday’s attack occurred around the time a new prime minister was inaugurated in Haiti.
Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said his priority was “restoring security.”According to AFP news agency.
The U.S. State Department on Tuesday urged Haiti’s leaders to put aside personal interests and focus on the country’s recovery.
“The urgent and immediate needs of the Haitian people require the transitional government to prioritize governance over the personal interests of political actors.” name said.
