UPDATE
12:18 PM PT — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) tells TMZ … the Spirit flight landed safely in the Dominican Republic at about 11:30 AM local time today, after it was damaged by gunfire while attempting to land in Port-au-Prince.
Two other U.S. flights were diverted as a precaution, and Haiti’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport has since been closed, the FAA confirms.
Chaos broke out on a Spirit Airlines flight Monday as it was struck by gunfire while attempting to land in Haiti’s capital city, Port-au-Prince … injuring a flight attendant, TMZ has confirmed
The flight, which was coming in from Fort Lauderdale, was diverted from Toussaint Louverture International Airport after bullets pierced the cabin … and it made a safe landing in nearby Santiago, in the Dominican Republic.
A flight attendant was reportedly grazed by a bullet … and a clip circulating online shows the aircraft riddled with bullet holes inside the plane.
Toussaint Louverture International Airport was forced to ground all commercial flights after the incident … and flight tracking showed both JetBlue Airways and Amerijet Cargo planes rerouting away from Haiti.
The incident went down just hours before Haiti’s new prime minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, was about to be sworn in after kicking out Prime Minister Garry Conille.
The exact cause of the gunfire is currently unknown. Armed gangs were reportedly responsible for firing on a United Nations helicopter in October, striking it and forcing it to land. No one was injured in that incident.
In a statement to TMZ, Spirit Airlines confirmed the shooting … saying no guests were injured. The flight attendant who was grazed was being evaluated by medical personnel. The plane was taken out of service, Spirit said, and a different aircraft was being arranged to return passengers to Florida. Spirit said the airline is suspending service to Haiti.
Originally Published — 10:52 AM PT
