A day after the prime minister of Haiti was fired, the airport in Port-au-Prince was closed because of the attack on the aircraft. A JetBlue plane was also struck.
A Spirit Airlines flight attempting to land in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was shot at on Monday and forced to divert, marking a sharp escalation in the violence that has gripped the nation.
A JetBlue flight from Port-au-Prince was also hit by a bullet on Monday, the airline said, though that was not determined until after the plane had landed safely in New York.
Spirit Airlines Flight 951, which took off from Fort Lauderdale for Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, was diverted to Santiago, in the Dominican Republic, where an inspection revealed what looked like bullet holes, according to Tommy Fletcher, a spokesman for the airline.
The flight landed safely at 11:30 a.m. Two other flights bound for Port-au-Prince were then also diverted, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
“An inspection revealed evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire,” Mr. Fletcher said in a statement. “One flight attendant on board reported minor injuries and is being evaluated by medical personnel.”
No passengers were hurt, the airline said. Spirit suspended flights to Port-au-Prince and to the northern Haitian city Cap-Haïtien. The plane was taken out of service.
