Gunfire hits a Spirit Airlines flight approaching Port-au-Prince, Haiti | Aviation News

The main international airport in the Haitian capital was closed after the flight was diverted to the Dominican Republic.

All commercial flights to Haiti’s international airport in the capital, Port-au-Prince, have been grounded after a Spirit Airlines flight from the United States was hit by gunfire on its final approach.

A Spirit Airlines spokesperson confirmed that Monday’s flight from Fort Lauderdale in South Florida was diverted and landed safely in Santiago, the capital of the neighboring Dominican Republic.

After the plane landed, “inspection revealed evidence of damage to the plane consistent with gunshots,” Spirit spokesman Tommy Fletcher said.

“One of the flight attendants reported that he was slightly injured and is being examined by medical personnel. No injury to the tourist was reported,” he added.

He said that because of this, Spirit suspended its operations in Port-au-Prince and Haiti’s second largest city, Cap-Haitien, “pending further tests”.

American Airlines also announced that it will suspend its daily service to Port-au-Prince until November 14.

Local officials confirmed that Port-au-Prince airport was closed to all flights after the incident.

Photos and video obtained by Al Jazeera appeared to show several bullet holes inside the plane, an Airbus A321, including in the overhead luggage areas.

Haiti is facing a humanitarian crisis due to years of gang violence that has forced more than 700,000 people from their homes and deepened already devastating poverty and hunger.

Haiti’s escalating gang war has killed nearly 4,000 people this year, according to the United Nations.

Monday’s incident is the second time this year that Port-au-Prince’s busy airport has been shut down, after operations were suspended in March for nearly three months. It also happened just hours before a new prime minister was installed after the government collapsed at the weekend.

It is the second time in recent months that a plane flying over Port-au-Prince has been shot down by suspected gangs. Last month, a UN helicopter carrying 18 people was attacked by gunfire from gangs. No one was wounded, and managed to land safely.

The US embassy in Haiti was also forced to evacuate some of its non-essential staff after gunmen targeted two of its vehicles. No workers were injured.

Gang attacks, however, derailed plans to bring the lawyer’s staff home.

Survivors of a gang attack in central Haiti in early October described waking up to gunshots and walking for hours in search of safety after an attack that killed nearly 100 people.

On October 18, the UN Security Council extended an arms embargo on Haiti due to serious concerns over the high level of gang violence.