All U.S. airlines and commercial flights are prohibited from entering Haiti for at least 30 days, according to an announcement by the Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday.
This new information comes after an incident where flights from Spirit Airlines and JetBlue Airways were shot at while flying over Port-au-Prince on Monday. The Spirit flight was hit while approaching Toussaint Louverture International Airport, and the JetBlue flight had just taken off for New York’s JFK Airport. Thankfully, no passengers were hurt, but a flight attendant on the Spirit flight was grazed in the process.Â
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Following the shooting, JetBlue has decided to cancel all flights until December 2. American Airlines has also suspended flights until Thursday. Spirit Airlines canceled its flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport to both Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien, stating that these cancellations will remain in effect while the shooting is investigated.
The FAA released a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) that bans U.S. civil aviation from operating in Haiti’s territory and airspace below 10,000 feet. This follows an earlier restriction that was set to expire on Monday.
Sunrise Airways, a Haitian airline, reports that its flights remain unaffected by the recent ban or the shootings. The airline connects Miami International Airport with Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien and serves various Caribbean destinations.Â
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This is not the first disruption in air travel to and from Haiti this year due to rising gang violence. Following coordinated attacks by gangs in late February, which aimed to force Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign, the country’s airports were closed for almost three months. Haitian authorities have not commented on the recent shootings, which occurred during a day of violent clashes between police and gangs.
These tensions escalated after a gang coalition threatened violence when the presidential council replaced Prime Minister Garry Conille with businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aime.