Spirit Airlines Flight Hit by Gunfire Mid-Air, Diverted to Dominican Republic
ICARO Media Group
**Spirit Airlines Flight Struck by Gunfire While Landing in Haiti, Diverted to Dominican Republic**
A Spirit Airlines flight en route to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from Fort Lauderdale was hit by gunfire on Monday as it attempted to land. The aircraft was subsequently diverted to a nearby airport in the Dominican Republic, where it landed without further incident, sources informed the Miami Herald. During the event, a flight attendant sustained a minor injury from a bullet graze, as reported by one of the sources. However, Spirit Airlines has not issued any public comment regarding the incident.
As a direct consequence, authorities at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Haiti's capital suspended all commercial flights. Real-time flight tracking showed that planes from JetBlue Airways, Air Caraibes, and Amerijet Cargo opted against heading to Haiti. Furthermore, a JetBlue Airways flight destined for New York, which was preparing for departure, eventually took off to John F. Kennedy International Airport.
In light of the shooting, all U.S.-based airlines, including those flying out of Miami International Airport, canceled their flights to Port-au-Prince scheduled for Tuesday. This alarming event is the second of its kind in recent weeks. Just last month, a United Nations helicopter was targeted by gunfire from armed gangs while flying over Port-au-Prince airspace, forcing it to return to the airport. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in that incident.
Monday's shooting incident occurred just hours before the Haitian ruling presidential council was set to inaugurate a new prime minister, businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aime. This change comes following the ousting of Prime Minister Garry Conille through an executive order that leaked on Sunday and was published on the council's official X account early Monday morning.