Haiti International Airport was temporarily closed on Monday (November 11) after gangs opened fire on an airport. Spirit Airlines flight. According to the US State Department and the airline, the plane was landing in Port-Au-Prince. The incident occurred when the new prime minister was being sworn in.
Details of the Spirit Airlines incident in Haiti
According to Associated Pressflight headed to Port-Au-Prince from Fort Lauderdale. Before landing in the country’s capital, gunfire occurred several times. A flight attendant was shot but suffered minor injuries. Photos and video obtained by The Associated Press show bullet holes scattered inside the plane.
In response to the attack, the plane changed course and landed in the Dominican Republic, according to Spirit Airlines. It appears to be part of what the US Embassy calls “cartel-led efforts to disrupt travel to and from Port-au-Prince, which may include armed violence and disruption of roads, ports and airports.”
BREAKING: Spirit Airlines flight from Florida was hit by gunfire while trying to land in Haiti. pic.twitter.com/M3DbjlC4sb
– Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) November 11, 2024
Last month, Spirit Airlines temporarily canceled daily flights from Fort Lauderdale to Port-Au-Prince because of similar risks. At the time, the AP reported that gang members had opened fire and hit a United Nations helicopter fly close to the country’s main airport. Therefore, Spirit suspended flights the day after the incident for the safety of passengers and team members.
What’s happening in Haiti?
In other areas of the Haitian capital, gun battles broke out between gangs and police. Volleys of gunfire echoed through the streets as heavily armed officers hid behind walls and civilians fled in terror. In other upscale areas, gangs burned houses. Schools closed as panic spread in some areas.
The chaos comes a day after the council sacked interim prime minister Garry Conille and he and the businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. For context, the council met in April to reestablish democratic order in the Caribbean country. They are tasked with choosing a new prime minister and cabinet. Before their replacement, the party did not have the best space with Garry Conille, even though they personally chose him as interim prime minister six months ago. In addition, everything in the group is not yet available that thing smooth. Corruption rumors surround at least three members along with other reports of infighting.
The country as a whole has seen an outbreak of violence since the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. According to reports, there have been weeks of political chaos and bloodshed has become the norm . Gangs have previously taken advantage of political chaos to carry out power plays, from closing airports to guarding shipping ports. However, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé’s swearing-in ceremony was scheduled for Monday afternoon.
In addition to Haiti, Spirit Airlines recently made headlines after passengers discovered a “super rat” on their flight from Dallas to Los Angeles.
RELATED: Sorry! Spirit Airlines Passengers React After Apparently Spotting a “Super Mouse” During Their Flight (WATCH)
Associated Press reporters Pierre Luxama, Evens Sanon and Megan Janetsky contributed to this report.
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