The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Tuesday it will ban U.S. airlines from operating in Haiti for 30 days after two commercial planes were hit by gunfire late Monday.
The FAA issued an air mission advisory prohibiting U.S. airlines from operating flights in Haitian territory and in airspace below 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) for 30 days, citing “flight safety risks associated with continued security instability”.
Last Monday, a Spirit Airlines flight bound for the Haitian capital was hit by gunfire. The plane was forced to divert to the neighboring Dominican Republic. Additionally, a JetBlue Airways flight returning from Port-au-Prince was determined to have sustained bullet damage upon arrival in New York.
JetBlue Airways said Monday evening that it will suspend all flights to and from Haiti through Dec. 2.
Spirit said its plane was damaged and out of service when it landed in the northern Dominican city of Santiago. A flight attendant was injured in the crash, but no passengers were injured.
In recent weeks, armed gangs in Haiti’s capital have fired at planes as the security situation worsened. Last month, a United Nations helicopter was shot at while flying over Port-au-Prince.
Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime took office Monday pledging to improve security. Fils-Aime was appointed last weekend by the Caribbean island nation’s transitional council to succeed Garry Conille, who spent just six months in office.
Source: Terra
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