The Federal Aviation Administration has banned US civilian flights to and from Haiti for the next 30 days after a Spirit Airlines flight was struck by bullets as the pilot was trying to land in Port-au-Prince on Monday.
The FAA ban also restricts any US flight from traveling under 10,000 feet in Haiti’s airspace.
The move from the FAA comes just a day after Spirit Airlines Flight 951 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was diverted to Santiago in the Dominican Republic because it was damaged by gunfire, the airline shared.
Spirit noted that one flight attendant on board “reported minor injuries,” but no passengers were injured.
A video of the flight attendant showing the alleged bullet holes going through the cabinet went viral on social media.
American Airlines said on Monday that one of its flights from Port-au-Prince to Miami was also hit by gunfire. It landed without issue, and no injuries were reported.
Still, American Airlines and Jetblue announced that they would be suspending their flights to the Haitian capital.
“Out of an abundance of caution, a post-flight inspection was completed, indicating the exterior of the aircraft had been impacted by a bullet,” American said in a statement.
The United States State Department said on Monday that the embassy in Port-au-Prince “is aware of gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince which may include armed violence, and disruptions to roads, ports, and airports.”