American Airlines halts flights to Haiti
FAA halts U.S flights to Haiti after gang shoots plane
Haiti’s international airport shut down on Monday after gangs opened fire at a commercial flight landing in Port-Au-Prince, prompting some airlines to temporarily suspend operations as the country swore in a new interim prime minister who promised to restore peace. The Spirit Airlines flight headed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Port-Au-Prince was just hundreds of feet from landing in Haiti’s capital when gangs shot at the plane striking a flight attendant, who suffered minor injuries, according to the airline, the U.S. Embassy and flight tracking data. The flight was diverted and landed in the Dominican Republic.
American Airlines will no longer resume flights to Haiti in February as gang violence has worsened in the Caribbean country.
A spokesperson for the airline told FOX Business in a statement that it will continue to evaluate a possible return to service of a daily flight from Miami International Airport into Haiti.
"American has made the difficult decision to suspend daily service between Miami (MIA) and Port-au-Prince, Haiti (PAP)," the spokesperson said. "We are proud of our more than 50-year-commitment to Haiti and we will continue to monitor the situation, assessing safety, security, and customer demand, in evaluating a return of service. We will proactively reach out to impacted customers to offer a full refund of their travel itinerary."
American Airlines was among several airlines – including Spirit and JetBlue – to have already temporarily halted operations to and from Haiti after Spirit and JetBlue planes were hit by gunfire last month amid growing civil unrest.
American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 passenger aircraft spotted during takeoff and flying in front of the airport terminal, air traffic control tower and planes from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport DCA, the closest airport to US capital Washi
The United Nations has said at least 4,500 people have been reported killed in Haiti this year, with more than 2,000 others injured.
Since Nov. 11, hundreds of people have been killed or injured, and 42,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, according to UNICEF.
On Sunday, the National Human Rights Defense Network said a gang murdered at least 110 people over the age of 60 in Haiti's Cite Soleil slum when its leader suspected they caused his child’s illness through witchcraft, Reuters reported. Gang members used machetes and knives to carry out the deadly violence, the organization said.
Turmoil in the country has extended to its leadership as Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille was ousted from office last month and replaced with businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aimé.
The U.S. government has long discouraged civilian travel into Haiti due to violence and political upheaval in the country.
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"The security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous. Travel within Haiti is conducted at your own risk," the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince said last month. "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."
Fox Business Digital’s Danielle Genovese contributed to this report. Read more of this story from FOX Business.