Spirit Airlines flight attendant injured after Haiti-bound plane hit by gunfire

A Spirit Airlines flight to Haiti was hit by gunfire on Monday, injuring a flight attendant, as the State Department warned of “gang-led efforts” to stop travel to the country.

Spirit released a statement confirming that one of its flights from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was diverted to the Dominican Republic on Monday. It said an inspection of the plane revealed damage consistent with gunfire.

“A flight attendant on board reported minor injuries and is being evaluated by medical personnel,” the statement said. “No guest injuries were reported.”

Spirit said it was suspending its flights to Haiti until the incident was “evaluated” and the plane would be taken out of service for the time being. A return flight to Florida is planned for the crew members and passengers who were diverted to the Dominican Republic.

American Airlines released a statement after the incident saying it would also suspend its flights from Miami to Port-au-Prince for the time being.

“We will continue to monitor the situation with safety in mind and adjust our operations as necessary,” it said.

JetBlue's website said it was “expecting disruption in Haiti due to unrest” and was waiving cancellation fees Monday through Saturday.

The State Department issued an alert Monday from the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince saying it was aware of a pause in operations at the city's airport.

“The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince is aware of gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince, which may include armed violence and disruption on roads, ports and airports,” it said of the warning.

The State Department advises against travel to Haiti, which is still in the midst of intense political unrest. Traveling within the Caribbean country is also not recommended.

“You should consider your personal security situation before traveling anywhere in Haiti,” the embassy said. “Only attempt to leave Haiti or travel within Haiti if you believe it is safe for you to do so.”

Haiti has been overwhelmed by armed groups vying for control after a power vacuum was created by the assassination of democratically elected President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. Ariel Henry, the prime minister at the time, assumed the role of president and was unable to hold elections despite his being deeply unpopular.

And when he delayed elections again earlier this year, violence erupted as armed militias plunged the country into unrest, putting civilian lives at risk.

Henry said in April that he would resign once other Caribbean states and parties had brokered an interim government.