Several commercial airlines have suspended flights to Haiti after passenger planes were hit by gunfire over the capital Port-au-Prince.
A Spirit Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was just hundreds of feet from landing in Haiti’s capital on Monday when gangs shot at the plane striking a flight attendant, who suffered minor injuries.
The flight was diverted and landed in the Dominican Republic.
Unverified photos and videos showed bullet holes dotting the interior of a plane.
In a separate incident JetBlue said its Flight 935 from Haiti to New York on Monday had also been struck by gunfire.
It landed in the US without reporting any issues but a post-flight inspection later identified that the aircraft’s exterior had been struck by a bullet.
The incidents have prompted JetBlue, Spirit and American Airlines to cancel all flights to and from Haiti.
Spirit said it had also suspended flights “pending further evaluation”.
American Airlines suspended flights to Haiti until at least Thursday.
JetBlue, has halted all flights to and from Haiti up to and including December 2.
The incident comes as a new prime minister took office in the crisis-hit country, which has been plagued by armed gangs and escalating violence.
As he was sworn in, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said his top priorities were to restore peace to the crisis-stricken nation and hold elections, which haven’t been held in Haiti since 2016.
“There is a lot to be done to bring back hope” he said before a room of suit-clad diplomats and security officials.
“I’m deeply sorry for the people ... that have been victimized, forced to leave everything they own.”
The country has seen weeks of political chaos, which observers warned could result in even more violence in a place where bloodshed has become the new normal. The country’s slate of gangs have long capitalized on political turmoil to make power grabs, shutting down airports, shipping ports and stirring chaos.
The United Nations estimates that gangs control 85% of the capital of Port-au-Prince, while a UN-backed mission led by Kenyan police to quell gang violence struggles with a lack of funding and personnel, prompting calls for a UN peacekeeping mission.
