Following the shooting of three planes by gangs, the Federal Aviation Administration banned American airlines from operating flights to Haiti for 30 days. The United Nations also temporarily halted flights to Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, which will restrict the amount of humanitarian aid that can enter the nation.
A flight attendant was hurt when bullets struck a Spirit Airlines aircraft just as it was ready to touch down in the capital on Monday, causing the airport to close. The Associated Press was able to collect images and videos that depict bullet holes scattered throughout an aircraft.
American Airlines and JetBlue said on Tuesday that post-flight examinations revealed their aircraft had also been shot Monday while taking off from Port-au-Prince. Flights to the capital were halted by American until February 12.
Following a politically turbulent process, the nation beset by gang violence swore in a new prime minister, sparking a surge of violence that included the shootings. According to U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric, the organization recorded 20 armed conflicts and additional obstacles that hindered humanitarian efforts during Monday's bloodshed.
The U.N. will move flights to the nation's second airport in the relatively tranquil northern city of Cap Haïtien, Dujarric added, as the Port-au-Prince airport would be closed until November 18.
According to a security advisory issued Monday, the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince was aware of "gang-led efforts" to prevent movement to and from the capital, which might involve "armed violence, and disruptions to roads, ports, and airports."
In Haiti, "the security situation is unpredictable and dangerous," the embassy cautioned. "You are at your own risk when traveling within Haiti. The safety of your journey to airports, borders, or any subsequent travel cannot be guaranteed by the U.S. government. Before you go anyplace in Haiti, you should think about your own security situation.
Given that gangs are choking the capital to death and have driven Haiti to the verge of hunger, even more restricted access to Port-au-Prince, the scene of the conflict, is expected to prove disastrous.
Dujarric cautioned that air travel restrictions would result in "limiting the flow of humanitarian aid and humanitarian personnel into the country." Already, an operation to provide cash aid to 1,000 people in the Carrefour region where violence broke out had to be canceled, and a convoy of 20 trucks carrying food and medical supplies in the south had been delayed.
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