In Haiti, a Spirit Airlines plane hit by gunfire in Port-au-Prince, what we know

INTERNATIONAL – A real scare for the passengers. A passenger plane of the American company Spirit Airlines was hit by gunfire as it was about to land in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, this Monday, November 11. Here's what we know.

• A plane hit

Flight 951 departed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Monday morning. When it arrived in Port-au-Prince, the airliner was targeted and then diverted to the Dominican Republic. The plane arrived in Santiago, an inspection “revealed evidence of damage to the device consistent with gunfire”the low-cost carrier said in a statement.

The plane was grounded and another plane must bring passengers back to Fort Lauderdale during the day, the company further specifies. Spirit Airlines added to suspend its routes to this Caribbean country ravaged by gang violence “pending further evaluation”.

American Airlines also suspended its flights from Miami to Port-au-Prince until Thursday, it confirmed to AFP. THE Miami Herald adds that JetBlue made the same decision. The same source continues saying that the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration, government aviation agency) has warned all pilots of the suspension of connections to Haiti's airport.

• One slightly injured

The cabin was damaged and several bullet holes are visible, according to images posted on social networks.

“A crew member reported minor injuries and is being examined by a medical team” but no passengers were injured, adds the Spirit Airlines press release.

Jean-David Desrouleaux, on board the plane, described to Miami Herald: “We waited for clack, clack, clack. The metal and plastic in the plane cracked. There were a few of us on the plane who understood what was happening. » He adds that he felt the pressure in the plane change after the shots.

• A tense context

This incident comes against the backdrop of a new political crisis. On Sunday, the Presidential Transitional Council decided to dismiss the Prime Minister, in office for only five months, and a new leader, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, is due to take office soon.

Haiti has suffered from chronic political instability for decades. But in recent months, the poor Caribbean country has also had to face a resurgence of gang violence, which controls 80% of the capital Port-au-Prince.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called on Haitian political actors to “overcoming their differences” and to “work together”according to its spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

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