Spirit Airlines flight from Florida to Haiti hit by gunfire while trying to land, diverts to Dominican Republic

A Spirit Airlines flight from Florida was hit by gunfire while trying to land in Haiti‘s capital, Port-au-Prince, on Monday and diverted to the neighboring country of the Dominican Republic, the Federal Aviation Administration said. A flight attendant sustained minor injuries during the incident.

Two other flights bound for Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport were diverted as a precaution, the FAA said in a statement.

Spirit Airlines Flight 951 took off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, just north of Miami, on Monday morning, bound for Port-au-Prince.

According to the flight-tracking website FlightAware, the flight flew over parts of Haiti and circled around Port-au-Prince before diverting to Cibao International Airport in Santiago, Dominican Republic.

The flight landed safely, according to Spirit. The airport said 48 passengers were on the flight. In Santiago, the aircraft was inspected, and damage consistent with gunfire was found, the airline said.

A flight attendants union, the Association of Flight Attendants, confirmed to CBS News that a flight attendant on the plane sustained minor injuries from debris during the incident. No passenger injuries were reported, according to Spirit.

The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince said in a security alert Monday it was aware of “gang-led efforts” to block travel to and from the capital that may include “armed violence, and disruptions to roads, ports, and airports.”

“The security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous,” the embassy said. “Travel within Haiti is conducted at your own risk. The U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety traveling to airports, borders, or during any onward travel. You should consider your personal security situation before traveling anywhere in Haiti.”

Following the incident, Spirit and other airlines suspended service to Haiti.

Spirit said its service at Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien in northern Haiti was suspended “pending further evaluation.”

American Airlines said it was suspending flights between Miami and Port-au-Prince through Thursday. “We will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed,” the airline said in a statement.

JetBlue canceled its flights to and from Haiti through Thursday. “We will continue to monitor the situation to determine if additional cancellations may be required,” the carrier said in a statement.

contributed to this report.

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