The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is no longer allowing U.S. air carriers or anybody with a pilot’s license to land in Haiti, according to a Notice to Air Mission.
The notice posted Tuesday cames after a plane from Fort Lauderdale Monday was shot at while approaching Port-Au-Prince, forcing the flight to divert to the Dominican Republic.
Then, two more flights leaving Port-Au-Prince to the United States were shot at as well.
Although the FAA could extend the restriction past 30 days, for now all flights will have to stay above 10,000 feet while flying over the country due to safety of flight risks associated with ongoing security stability.
The United States State Department has recommended Americans not travel to Haiti since September. Its embassy released a warning Monday about Haitian gangs blocking travel to and from Port-au-Prince, including armed violence and disruptions to roads, ports and airports.
“These are things we only see in movies, we never thought this was something that could happen in real life,” said Valerie Victor, who was on the flight shot at on Monday. “Today we understood that we were going home, to our country, and they shot at us, we could have died. Anything could have happened, but we thank God that didn’t happen, and we are here today.”
One passenger on the flight sent WPTV photos showing a bullet hole in the engine and three bullet holes in the tail of Spirit Flight 951. He said he saw fire at one of the engines before the pilot suddenly pulled up, aborted the landing and turned the plane into the Dominican Republic.
Joe Karabensh, who is the president of Mission Flights International, said his nonprofit is planning on trying to get an exception with the FAA to continue landing in northern or southern Haiti. He said the current restriction will put a hold on his operations of delivering food and medical supplies to over 600 organizations operating inside the countries borders.
