The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has prohibited flights to Haiti due to the Caribbean country’s “ongoing security instability.”
The federal agency’s November 12 “Notice to Air Mission,” or NOTAM, banned United States aviation “in the territory and airspace of Haiti below 10,000 feet for 30 days.” The FAA’s directive comes after a Spirit Airlines plane was struck by gunfire on November 11 during its attempted landing in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Following the shots fired, the aircraft diverted to Santiago, Dominican Republic. The flight had left from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
According to the airline, a flight attendant suffered minor injuries and was evaluated by medics. No customers on the flight were injured.
On the same day of the Spirit Airlines incident, USA Today detailed that a JetBlue aircraft reported evidence of gunfire damage to one of its planes, which was found during a post-flight inspection. The bullet damage was found at New York City’s John F. Kennedy airport following the plane’s return from Port-au-Prince.
An American Airlines flight was also struck by gunfire in Port-au-Prince on November 11.
How Else Is The Crisis In Haiti Impacting Travel?
According to CNN, Haitian authorities have temporarily suspended flights in and out of Port-au-Prince. The United Nations has also reportedly paused all its flights to the Caribbean nation’s capital.
The State Department’s travel advisory for Haiti was last updated on September 18. The notice classifies Haiti as a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” zone “due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, and limited health care.”
The country’s summary, included in the advisory, states Haiti “has been under a State of Emergency” since March.
A November 12 security alert regarding the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince confirmed armed violence and disruptions “to roads, ports, and airports in Port-au-Prince and neighboring divisions of the city.” A separate notice issued the day prior described the efforts to block travel to and from Haiti’s capital as “gang-led.”
U.S. citizens stuck in Haiti due to canceled flights are urged to contact their airlines for guidance and next steps.
