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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has officially banned all US civilian flights to and from Haiti for 30 days.
Let’s bring you up to speed: Earlier this week, a Spirit Airlines flight en route from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was struck by gunfire as it attempted to land at Toussaint Louverture International Airport. After sustaining damage, the flight was forced to divert to Santiago, Dominican Republic, with one flight attendant reporting minor injuries.

What’s the deal: In an announcement, the FAA confirmed a 30-day suspension of all US civilian flights to and from Haiti, citing significant safety concerns due to recent incidents of gunfire targeting aircraft near Port-au-Prince’s main airport. Along with the suspension, the FAA has prohibited US flights from flying below 10,000 feet within Haitian airspace, a precaution aimed at reducing the risk of aircraft encountering similar threats.
Digging Deeper: Following the assassination of Haiti’s last Prime Minister, Jovenel Moïse, Haiti has been rocked by an uprising of gangs that have taken over large swaths of territory in the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Some of these gangs have formed alliances in an effort to overthrow the government. In addition to taking over territory, the gangs have aimed to take over key critical infrastructure, resulting in food and fuel shortages in some areas of the country.

The deteriorating security situation has led to the establishment of a multinational security force, primarily led by military personnel from Kenya, seeking to help the Haitian government restore order in the country.