JetBlue Airways Extends Flight Suspension to Haiti

By David Shepardson
Date: Late Monday

JetBlue Airways announced on Monday that it will extend its suspension of all flights to and from Haiti until December 2. This decision follows the discovery of damage caused by a bullet to one of its planes returning from Port-au-Prince.

Earlier on the same day, a Spirit Airlines flight headed to Haiti was diverted to the Dominican Republic after being struck by gunfire. This incident triggered JetBlue and American Airlines to cancel all flights through Thursday.

Despite JetBlue Flight 935 arriving safely in New York, a post-flight inspection revealed that the aircraft had sustained bullet damage. JetBlue is currently investigating the incident in collaboration with relevant authorities, citing ongoing civil unrest in Haiti.

Spirit Airlines reported that its affected plane was grounded upon landing in Santiago, Dominican Republic, with one flight attendant injured but no passenger harm reported.

As of Monday, all flights to and from Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince are suspended, as stated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. embassy. The FAA noted that two other flights headed for Toussaint were diverted as a precaution.

Spirit has also halted its operations to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien pending further evaluation. Passengers aboard the Spirit flight will be transported back to Fort Lauderdale on another aircraft.

The security situation in Haiti has seriously deteriorated, with armed gangs targeting aircraft in recent weeks, including a U.N. helicopter that was hit by gunfire last month over Port-au-Prince.