American Airlines, the prominent U.S. airline, declared on Tuesday that it will pause its flights connecting Miami and Port-au-Prince, Haiti, for the next three months. This decision came after one of its planes was struck by gunfire while en route from the Haitian capital to Miami.
The airline revealed that the incident occurred during a flight that landed at Miami International Airport on Monday. An inspection confirmed that the plane's exterior had been hit by a bullet. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported.
In a precautionary move, American Airlines stated it would suspend its daily flights between these destinations until February 12. This action marks the third U.S. airline to cease operations in Haiti following similar incidents.
Escalating Security Concerns
On Monday, Spirit Airlines and JetBlue aircraft also encountered gunfire while navigating the airspace over Port-au-Prince. A Spirit Airlines flight was targeted as it approached Toussaint Louverture Airport, while a JetBlue plane was attacked during its departure to New York.
The escalating violence has alarmed U.S. authorities, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ban commercial flights to Haiti for the next 30 days due to rising instability and security threats posed by the country's violence.
Troubled Times at Toussaint Louverture Airport
Haiti's main airport, Toussaint Louverture, was temporarily closed on Monday as armed gang clashes intensified in the area. This surge in violence has been fueled by the recent appointment of a new Prime Minister, Alix Didier Fils Aimé, by the Transitional Presidential Council, further heightening tensions in the nation.
Earlier this year, the airport had already been closed to commercial traffic from February to May because of violent gang activities. These violent acts have severely impacted the civilian population, leading gangs to take control of several institutions and prisons in Haiti, a nation grappling with a profound political, social, and economic crisis.