News

Passenger plane sprayed with gunfire while landing & 2nd jet shot on take-off in ‘world’s most dangerous city’ in Haiti

HAITI’S international airport was forced to shut down after gangs opened fire at a passenger plane.

The Spirit Airlines flight from Florida was struck by bullets as it went to touch down Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport.

A flight attendant was injured as gangs sprayed the plane – which had come from Fort Lauderdale – with gunfire on Monday.

Footage circulating on social media appears to show a hole where a bullet entered the aircraft near the rear door and hit overheard lockers.

Flight 951 was diverted and landed in the Dominican Republic instead.

The air steward was checked over for minor injuries, and no passengers were harmed.

Spirit Airlines said the damaged plane has been taken out of commission.

Authorities at the airport were forced to ground all commercial flights.

Flight tracking showed passenger planes and cargo jets turning away from Haiti.

A second plane also came under fire just a short time later.

The JetBlue flight was about to take off from the tarmac and head to New York when gangs opened fire.

It arrived later than scheduled and a post-flight inspection revealed the aircraft’s exterior had been hit.

JetBlue has halted all flights to Haiti until December 2 while the shooting is investigated.

A spokesman said: “We are actively investigating this incident in collaboration with relevant authorities.“

Spirit said it had suspended flights to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien, in Haiti’s north, “pending further evaluation.“

The passengers aboard the Spirit flight on Monday will be taken back in another aircraft to Fort Lauderdale, where the flight departed from.

A day after the gunfire, the Federal Aviation Administration announced all flights between the US and Haiti would be banned for 30 days as the investigation continues.

US planes are also prohibited from flying below 10,000 feet in Haiti’s airspace.

Armed gangs in Haiti’s capital have shot at aircraft in recent weeks as the security situation deteriorates.

Last month, a UN helicopter was hit by gunfire over Port-au-Prince.

In other parts of Haiti’s capital on Monday, firefights between gangs and police have broken out.

Rounds of gunfire echoed through the streets as heavily armed officers ducked behind walls and civilians ran in terror.

In other upper-class areas, gangs set fire to homes. Schools closed as panic spread in a number of areas.

The turmoil comes a day after a council meant to re-establish democratic order in the Caribbean nation fired the interim prime minister Garry Conille, replacing him with businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aim.

The council has been marked by infighting and three members were recently accused of corruption.

As he was sworn in, Fils-Aim said his top priorities were to restore peace to the crisis-stricken nation and hold elections, which haven’t been held in Haiti since 2016.

He said: “There is a lot to be done to bring back hope. “I’m deeply sorry for the people… that have been victimised, forced to leave everything they own.“

The country has seen weeks of political chaos, which observers warned could result in even more violence in a place where bloodshed has become the new normal.

Related Posts

Conor McGregor vows ‘big actions are coming’ and says he is ‘soon to be vindicated’ as he launches furious tirade against his rape accuser Nikita Hand after she won €250,000 from him in court

Conor McGregor has warned ‘big actions are coming’ and he is ‘soon to be vindicated’ during a series of social media tirades against a decision to award his rape accuser nearly €250,000. McGregor, 36, was found by a jury in a civil court to have 𝑠e𝑥ually assaulted Nikita Hand, 35, at a hotel in south Dublin in December 2018. After deliberating for six hours and 10 minutes, a jury of eight women and four men returned their verdict on Friday afternoon, awarding Ms Hand the substantial damages for her claim.

Bombshell new clue may finally crack DB Cooper case 53 years after hijacker escaped out of plane with $200k

The parachute that the infamous hijacker DB Cooper used to make his getaway out of a plane with $200,000 may have finally been found. The enigma behind DB Cooper, the man who jumped out of Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 with thousands in cash after handing a stewardess a note demanding the ransom, has long stumped the FBI. Nearly a decade later, the FBI has begun unofficially looking back into the case after the children of Richard Floyd McCoy II contacted YouTuber Dan Gryder in 2020 with possible evidence.

‘Never-Trump’ columnist ridiculed for calling Trump’s Cabinet ‘1,000 shades of white’

Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin is being ridiculed for calling Donald Trump’s cabinet nominations ‘1,000 shades of white’. Rubin, 62, a former conservative commentator at the Jeff Bezos-owned paper, now largely advocates for Democrats and on her podcast, ‘Jen Rubin’s Green Room.’ Speaking on MSNBC Rubin did not hold back as she ripped Trump’s nominations over the color of their skin.

Matt Gaetz is mercilessly mocked over surprising new career move: ‘Not on my bingo card’

Former Attorney General pick Matt Gaetz has turned his eyes towards a new career after claiming he was forced to exit Congress due to a 𝑠e𝑥 ‘smear’ campaign. Gaetz, sensationally dropped out of contention two days ago amid a sleuth of allegations including having 𝑠e𝑥 with a minor girl and and illicit drug use – which he has always denied. He also withdrew himself from Congress for next year despite having been re-elected to the seat he vacated.

Mass job losses as major factory owner moves business overseas

A major New York tire factory that has operated for over a century is set to close after its executives moved its manufacturing overseas. Sumitomo Rubber USA, which owns tire maker Dunlop, fired 1,550 people this week as the Japanese company plans to close its Buffalo factory. The company did not announce plans at the same time to open a new factory, but said it made the ‘difficult decision’ because the New York manufacturer couldn’t keep up with overseas prices.

Crushing blow for Anthony Albanese as hugely controversial misinformation bill is SCRAPPED

Communications minister Michelle Rowland has announced Labor will abandon its push to introduce a misinformation Bill. Ms Rowland made the announcement on Sunday following revelations the Greens, Coalition and several crossbenchers would not support the legislation. ‘Based on public statements and engagements with senators, it is clear that there is no pathway to legislate this proposal through the Senate,’ she said in a statement.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *