Two planes come under fire as they attempt to land in Haiti

Two US airline planes that were shot at were the result of Monday's incidents in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. Spirit Airlines and JetBlue aircraft were fired upon by armed gangs while landing at Toussaint Louverture Airport . A Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 flying from Fort Lauderdale was seriously damaged. Bullets pierced the fuselage of the machine and even perforated the baggage compartments. One cabin crew member was injured as a result of the attack, although his exact condition is not known at this point. None of the passengers were hurt and the plane was diverted to Santiago airport in the Dominican Republic.

A JetBlue airline plane, flying from New York to Haiti, was also shelled. In this situation, fortunately there was no major damage and no injuries. Why were two passenger planes shot at in Haiti?

Shelling of passenger planes in Haiti

Following Monday's events, the US Embassy in Haiti reported that the airport in Port-au-Prince was closed due to ‘gang activity aimed at blocking travel to and from Port-au-Prince, which may include armed violence and disruption of roads, ports and airports’. The situation in Haiti has already been very difficult for many years, but the latest figures show that more than 80% of the Haitian capital is controlled by armed gangs. They were the ones who tried to disrupt or take over the airport in Port-au-Prince on Monday. The gangs already control most of the access roads to the airport. Changes of government and ONZ missions in Haiti have not been able to restore stability in the country. We advise against any travel to Haiti in the coming years, even if it is an essential and necessary trip. 

News source: @aviationbrk, X