A Spirit Airlines flight en route from Fort Lauderdale, FL, to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was forced to make an emergency diversion to Santiago, Dominican Republic, after the aircraft was struck by gunfire, according to the airline. Flight 951, which departed Fort Lauderdale on Monday morning, landed safely in Santiago, where it underwent an inspection that revealed damage consistent with gunfire.
Extremely Concerning! An Airbus A320-271N aircraft (N966NK) of the Spirit Airlines was hit by bullets this Monday as the aircraft was preparing to land at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, resulting the aircraft diversion to El Cibao… pic.twitter.com/oCLPFU6K4f
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) November 11, 2024
The airline reported that one flight attendant sustained minor injuries and was being treated by medical personnel. No passengers were hurt during the incident. Spirit Airlines has since removed the plane from service and is working to arrange a replacement aircraft to return passengers and crew to Fort Lauderdale.
In light of the incident, Spirit Airlines announced the suspension of service to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien in Haiti pending further evaluation. The airline emphasized that the safety of its passengers and crew is its top priority.
The diversion comes amid heightened tensions and safety concerns at Haiti’s main airport, which the U.S. embassy reported was temporarily shut down on Monday due to gang activity attempting to seize control of the facility.
