The airline plans to suspend service in Haiti after a flight attendant was injured during an attempted landing.
A Spirit A319 (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
Spirit Airlines flight 951 was forced to divert after being shot at while attempting to land in Port-au-Prince on Monday morning.
An airline spokesperson told AirlineGeeks in an emailed statement that one flight attendant had sustained minor injuries.
“Spirit Airlines flight 951 from Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Port-au-Prince (PAP) diverted and landed safely in Santiago, Dominican Republic (STI),” the spokesperson said. “Following the flight’s arrival at STI, an inspection revealed evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire. One Flight Attendant on board reported minor injuries and is being evaluated by medical personnel. No Guest injuries were reported.”
The spokesperson said the Airbus A320neo – registered as N966NK – has been taken out of service, and Spirit is arranging for a different aircraft to return its guests and crew to Fort Lauderdale today.
“The safety of our Guests and Team Members is our top priority, and we have suspended our service at Port-au-Prince (PAP) and Cap-Haitien (CAP) pending further evaluation,” the spokesperson added.
Twitter/X account Media Libre Haiti posted a video reportedly taken by Spirit crew members after the incident showing what appears to be several bullet holes in the aircraft.
The incident marks the second time aircraft in Haiti have faced gunfire. Last month, a United Nations helicopter was hit by gunfire over Haiti while carrying three crew members and 15 passengers. No one was injured in that incident.
L’avion de la compagnie @SpiritAirlines a bel et bien été touché par des balles ce matin dans le ciel de Port-au-Prince. L’appareil a finalement atterri à Santiago, en République Dominicaine. Dans une vidéo réalisée par des membres de l’équipage, on peut voir clairement les… pic.twitter.com/83XmJxNhpE
— MédiaLibreHaïti (@MediaLibre_twt) November 11, 2024
Haiti has undergone violent civil unrest since gangs effectively took over the country earlier this year. A Miami Herald report stated that the incident with Spirit occurred just hours before Haiti’s ruling presidential council was set to swear in a new prime minister, businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aime.
Multiple airlines have cancelled flights to the country, including both American and JetBlue.
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