All US flights to Haiti suspended by FAA after gunfire struck three American planes

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Notice to Air Missions on Tuesday and said that flights will be grounded for 30 days to Haiti because of “safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing security instability”.

Police officers patrol near the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

After the order of the FAA, the US flights will not be allowed to fly within 10,000ft (3,048m) of the territory and airspace of Haiti. Post the gun attack, the Haitian authorities also suspended flight operations, in and out of Port-au-Prince for a week.

The FBI said that it is investigating the firing incident on Spirit airline which injured a flight attendant. In a statement, the FBI said “The FBI is aware of the incident and working with our law enforcement partners. As this is an ongoing matter, we don’t have any further comment,” as reported by BBC.

Haiti has had close relations with the United States due to the large presence of Haitian diaspora in America. But the Caribbean nation has been plagued by increasing attacks and violent gang warfare post the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. The violence in Haiti has led to the death of more than 3,600 people since January.

The US embassy in Haiti said that it was “aware of gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince” and that the security situation remains unpredictable. The United Nations also announced a halt on the flight operations in Haiti, which will also limit the flow of humanitarian aid and humanitarian personnel into the country.