On Monday, November 11, 2024, gunfire hit a Spirit Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale to Port-au-Prince. The attack occurred as the plane attempted to land at Toussaint Louverture International Airport. It resulted in minor injuries to a flight attendant and forced the aircraft to divert to the Dominican Republic.
Flight 951, carrying 48 passengers, was just moments away from touching down in Port-au-Prince when it came under fire. According to flight tracking data reviewed by CNN from Flightradar24, the Airbus A320 was approximately 550 feet above the ground. It then suddenly began to climb rapidly, veering away from its intended destination. The quick-thinking crew diverted to Cibao International Airport in Santiago, Dominican Republic, where the plane landed safely.
Robert Sumwalt, former National Transportation Safety Board chairman and a CBS News transportation safety expert, commended the crew’s decision, stating, “The decision to get out of there, I think that was a very solid decision.”
Spirit Airlines Responds After Gunfire Strikes
Upon inspection at Cibao International Airport, the Spirit Airlines aircraft showed clear evidence of damage consistent with gunfire. A video circulating on social media revealed what appeared to be a bullet hole inside the cabin near an exit. There was also damage to an overhead compartment. Photos shared by the Dominican airport further confirmed the presence of bullet holes on the plane’s exterior.
In response to this alarming incident, Spirit Airlines has suspended its services to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien in northern Haiti “pending further evaluation.” The airline is arranging for the affected passengers and crew to return to Fort Lauderdale on a different aircraft. Other major carriers have followed suit.
JetBlue Airways canceled its flights to and from Haiti through December 2 after discovering that gunfire had also struck one of its planes during a flight from Port-au-Prince to New York’s JFK Airport. American Airlines has suspended its Miami-Port-au-Prince route through Thursday, November 14.
Security Concerns
This incident is not isolated. In October, gang gunfire struck a United Nations helicopter over Port-au-Prince, forcing it to return to the airport. The U.S. Embassy in Haiti issued a security alert on Monday, warning of “gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince which may include armed violence, and disruptions to roads, ports, and airports.”
The security situation in Haiti has been deteriorating rapidly since March, when politically connected gangs mounted an insurrection that toppled the prime minister, freed thousands of prisoners, and effectively cut off Port-au-Prince from the rest of the world. The country’s international airport has been forced to shut down, and violent clashes between gangs and police continue to erupt across the capital.
