On the morning of February 29, an Airbus A321 was shot at upon arrival at Port-au-Prince Airport (PAP) in Haiti, damaging the fuselage. The aircraft, operated by Avion Express Malta on behalf of Dominican Airlines, managed to land safely with no reported injuries for the passengers onboard.

The Incident

The aircraft departed from Santo Domingo Airport (SDQ) at 10:12 a.m. local time to fly to Port-au-Prince Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP) in Haiti. As the aircraft landed at the airport and taxied towards the parking apron, it got an impact from gunfire that had broken out in the area around the airport boundary. Reports from the local state that ongoing disputes between rival gangs with territories created around the airport were most likely the cause. 

Avion Express Malta, an ACMI lease agreement with Dominican Airlines Sky Cana, operates the damaged aircraft registered under 9H-AME. The A321-231 is 19.8 years old and has 220 passenger seats in an all-economy layout. It operates for the Dominican carrier with the special livery "Go Samana."

Local authorities in Haiti and the airlines are investigating the recent incident. Officials at Part-au-Prince International Airport have confirmed that flight operations have been affected due to the gunfire suspected to have originated from the gang-related clashes. However, safety measures are strengthened and integrated throughout the airport. The damaged aircraft of Sky Cana remains grounded for further inspection and repairs.

The Security Alert

A security alert appeared on the official website of the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on March 1. The warning states: 

"Multiple locations in Port-au-Prince are experiencing gang-related violence including intense, sometimes sustained gunfire, armed confrontations between gangs and police and security forces, barricades, and other traffic disruptions. Gang-related violence is impacting security and operations at critical infrastructure including the airport and main seaport. Recent gunfire and gang-related violence is also occurring regularly in areas surrounding the U.S. Embassy."

"Recent events indicate that the current security situation in Port-au-Prince remains very unpredictable. The current wave of gang-related violence may cause delays or disruption of Embassy operations, and may negatively impact the ability of the Embassy to provide routine, scheduled, or emergency consular services."

This notice followed shootings that erupted in Haiti's capital, causing flight cancellations and killing at least four people during an attack on a police station. American Airlines stated on February 29 that they have suspended their daily operation between Miami (MIA) and PAP, and spokesperson Laura Masvidal told the media, "We will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed."

Flights at Port-au-Prince Airport in Haiti's capital have been disrupted because of the heavy gunfire nearby. Haitian airline Sunrise Airways also stated that all flights have been suspended until further notice to ensure the safety of the passengers, ground crews, and aircraft. Rapid gunfire close to the airport had "caused damage to some aircraft and endangered users" of the domestic terminal, according to Sunrise Airways.

The gang members have terrorized the metropolitan population, forcing 200,000 people to flee their homes through cruel killing, kidnapping, arson, and rape. In January alone, 1,100 people were killed, injured, or kidnapped due to the violence. More than 8,400 people were victims of such violence through last year, according to a report from the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BIUH). The waves of criminal acts have established their effects after the assassination of former President Jovenel Moise in 2021. 

Public aggression has increased towards Prime Minister Ariel Henry for his unsuccess to put a lid on the unrest, and his failed acts to hold an election, which was supposed to happen last month, just escalated the situation. A powerful Haitian gang member, Jimmy Cherizier, known as Barbecue stated that the reason for the gunfights that broke out was "not only topple the Ariel [Henry] government," but also to "change the whole system."

An attack on Bon Repos Police Station, north of Port-au-Prince, left at least four people dead and three wounded. Officials from Kenya signed an agreement to send 1,000 police officers to Haiti as a part of the security-increasing mission in the area. The UN has authorized the mission. The United States intended to contribute $200 million to the multinational security support mission to enhance the national police's operations.