A Spirit Airlines flight coming into the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince from the US state of Florida was struck by what appeared to be gang-related gunfire on Monday, forcing the airplane to be diverted to the Dominican Republic.
One person – a flight attendant – was grazed by a bullet, and no other passenger injuries have been reported.
The shooting forced authorities at Toussaint Louverture international airport to ground all commercial flights. Flight tracking showed both JetBlue Airways and Amerijet cargo planes turning away from Haiti in the wake of the gunfire.
In a security alert issued on Monday, the US embassy said it was aware of the airport’s pause in operations and 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”.