16.7 C
Auckland
Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Popular Now

US flights to Haiti suspended after rising violence and gang attacks on commercial planes

Haiti flights news
Quest Department, Port au Prince, Haiti.

The United States has imposed a 30-day suspension on all flights to Haiti following gunfire attacks on two commercial airplanes at Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued the moratorium after a Spirit Airlines flight from Florida and a JetBlue flight from New York were hit by gunfire on approach to the airport.

The United Nations, which relies on flights for humanitarian aid, also announced a suspension of air travel into Haiti due to escalating violence and security risks. Airlines, including Spirit, JetBlue, and American Airlines, have canceled flights, though Haiti’s Sunrise Airways continues some regional operations.

Haiti has struggled with intensifying gang violence since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, with armed groups controlling most of Port-au-Prince and around 85% of the capital, according to the UN.

Monday’s airport attacks occurred amid political shifts as Alix Didier Fils-Aime was sworn in as acting prime minister.

Dominican President Luis Abinader condemned the shootings, urging international recognition of the gangs as terrorist organizations. Amid widespread closures of schools, banks, and government offices in the capital, the new prime minister pledged to work with international partners to restore peace and prepare for elections, a sentiment echoed by the US State Department.

Image credit: Matteo Favre

Promoted Content

No login required to comment. Name, email and web site fields are optional. Please keep comments respectful, civil and constructive. Moderation times can vary from a few minutes to a few hours. Comments may also be scanned periodically by Artificial Intelligence to eliminate trolls and spam.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest

Trending

Sport

Daily Life

Opinion

Wellington
broken clouds
15.5 ° C
16.8 °
14.4 °
65 %
3.6kmh
82 %
Wed
15 °
Thu
17 °
Fri
15 °
Sat
12 °
Sun
13 °