A Spirit Airlines flight traveling from Fort Lauderdale to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was forced to make an emergency landing in Santiago, Dominican Republic after its fuselage was struck by gunfire, the airline confirmed.
According to WSVN-Miami, the flight, which took off Monday morning, landed safely in Santiago, where an inspection revealed damage that was consistent with gunfire.
One flight attendant was reported to have sustained minor injuries and received medical attention. Fortunately, no passengers were harmed during the incident.
The aircraft has been grounded for repairs, and Spirit Airlines is arranging an alternate flight to return travelers to Fort Lauderdale. In the wake of the event, the airline temporarily suspended service to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien (CAP) while further safety assessments are conducted.
JetBlue and American Airlines have also paused flights to and from both Haitian cities as a precautionary measure.
The disruption follows increasing security concerns in Haiti, where the U.S. embassy reported that the country’s main airport had to close temporarily due to escalating gang violence in the area. This continues to strain the region’s travel infrastructure amid growing unrest.