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Spirit and JetBlue flights hit by gunfire over Haiti amid gang violence

Posted on by Pranco
Spirit and JetBlue flights hit by gunfire over Haiti amid gang violence

Topline

A Spirit Airlines flight was hit by gunfire on Monday as it tried to land in Port-au-Prince, while a JetBlue passenger plane flying from the Haitian capital to New York was struck by a bullet earlier in the day – in escalating gang violence forced authorities to close the country’s busiest airport, while US authorities warned against travel to the country.

Key facts

Spirit Airlines Flight NK951, flying from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Port-au-Prince, was forced to divert to the Dominican Republic after being struck by gunfire four times during an attempted landing, local aviation authorities say told ABC News.

In a statement to the media on Monday evening, Spirit Airlines confirmed it had “landed safely in Santiago, Dominican Republic” after being diverted, and a flight attendant on board reported minor injuries.

Keeping records of Flight conscious showed the plane descending as low as 600 feet over Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince before aborting its landing attempt.

A post-flight inspection also found that JetBlue Flight 935, which flew from the Haitian capital to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday, was also struck by a bullet, although no problems were detected during the flight.

JetBlue, Spirit Airlines and American Airlines have temporarily suspended all flights to and from Haiti, with JetBlue extending the suspensions until December 2 after discovering bullet damage on one of their planes.

The US Embassy in Haiti also has one safety warning warned of “gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince,” and urged U.S. citizens to avoid travel to Haiti.

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Crucial quote

“The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince is aware of gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince, including possible armed violence and disruptions to roads, ports and airports… The security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous. Travel within Haiti is at your own risk,” the advisory said.

Important background

According to Associated Press, gangs and armed police traded fire in the Haitian capital on Monday, as some homes in the city were set on fire and schools were forced to remain closed. The escalation in gang violence came on a day when businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aime was sworn in as the country’s new prime minister and vowed to improve the country’s security situation. Fils-Aime’s predecessor Garry Conille was dismissed of the role played on Sunday by the country’s transitional presidential council, which is tasked with restoring democratic order in the country. However, the council’s work is marred by reports about infighting and corruption. Observers have warned that the instability is likely to worsen gang activity in the country, which has since faced a major crisis murder of former President Jovenel Moïse at his private home in 2021.

Big number

About 80%. That is the total area of ​​Port-au-Prince under the influence or control of armed gangs. according to the United Nations.

Read more

Spirit Airlines and JetBlue planes hit by gunfire in Haiti (ABC News)

New leader takes over in Haiti and promises to halt spiraling violence (Reuters)