A Spirit Airlines flight was battered by gunfire while it attempted to land in Haiti on Monday, leading to an injured flight attendant and a diversion to the Dominican Republic.
Flight 951 departed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and was arriving at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince when it was hit by multiple bullets, a spokesperson confirmed to the Miami Herald.
No passengers were injured, but a flight attendant was reportedly grazed by a bullet and is said to have suffered minor injuries.
The plane made an emergency diversion to Cibao International Airport (STI) in Santiago, Dominican Republic.
“Following the flight’s arrival at STI, an inspection revealed evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire,” the Spirit spokesperson told the Herald.
The plane has since been taken out of service, all commercial flights out of the Port-au-Prince airport were grounded, and all Tuesday U.S. flights into the city overtaken by gang violence were canceled.
“The safety of our guests and team members is our top priority, and we have suspended our service at Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien pending further evaluation,” the Spirit spokesperson said.
The shooting comes just a month after a United Nations (UN) helicopter was also struck by gunfire in Port-au-Prince airspace, Breitbart News reported.
No one was injured in that incident, but photos obtained by CNN showed “at least eight bullet holes on the helicopter’s fuselage, and what appears to be its rotor system.”
The helicopter was clearly marked as a UN aircraft, specifically belonging to the World Food Program (WFP).
