The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday banned U.S. civil flights to and from Haiti for 30 days after a Spirit Airlines plane was hit by shots tried to land in Port-au-Prince the day before.
The FAA's ban also prohibits U.S. flights from flying below 10,000 feet in Haitian airspace.
On Monday, Spirit Airlines Flight 951 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was diverted to Santiago, Dominican Republic, around 11:30 a.m. after it was damaged by gunfire, the airline said. Spirit said a flight attendant on board “reported minor injuries” and no passenger injuries were reported
American Airlines said considered one of its flights from Port-au-Prince to Miami was hit by gunfire on Monday and landed uneventfully, with no injuries reported.
“Out of an abundance of caution, a post-flight inspection was conducted which revealed that the exterior of the aircraft had been struck by a bullet,” American said in an announcement.
American has suspended flights to the Haitian capital until February 12. JetBlue Airways has also suspended service to Haiti.
The U.S. State Department said Monday that the embassy in Port-au-Prince “is aware of gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince, causing armed violence and disruption on roads, ports and ports.” Airports may include.” .”
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