Spirit Airlines flight to Haiti struck by gunfire, flight attendant injured

A Spirit Airlines flight en route to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was hit by gunfire on Monday, injuring a flight attendant, while the U.S. State Department issued warnings of “gang-led efforts” aimed at disrupting travel to the country.

In a statement, Spirit Airlines confirmed that the flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was rerouted to the Dominican Republic after an inspection revealed aircraft damage consistent with gunfire. “One Flight Attendant on board reported minor injuries and is being evaluated by medical personnel,” Spirit said. “No Guest injuries were reported.”

In response to the incident, Spirit announced it was suspending all flights to Haiti pending an “evaluation” and said the affected aircraft would be taken out of service temporarily. The airline is arranging a return flight to Florida for the crew and passengers who were diverted to the Dominican Republic.

Following the incident, American Airlines also suspended flights from Miami to Port-au-Prince. “We will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed,” American Airlines said in a statement.

JetBlue’s website indicated it was “anticipating disruptions in Haiti due to civil unrest” and was waiving cancellation fees for flights through Saturday.

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The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, meanwhile, issued an alert on Monday, noting it was aware of a temporary halt in operations at the city’s airport amidst escalating security concerns.