Haiti Closes Main Airport After Gangs Fire on U.S. Airline in Escalating Security Crisis

Haiti’s main airport, Toussaint-Louverture International, has been shut down just a month after being reclaimed from gang control by the Kenyan-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission. The closure follows a brazen attack by suspected gang members on a U.S. airline, underscoring the escalating security crisis gripping the Caribbean nation.

On Monday, a flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was on its final descent into Port-au-Prince when it was struck by gunfire from gang-occupied areas surrounding the airport. The aircraft sustained visible damage, and a flight attendant suffered minor injuries, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Following the attack, the flight was redirected to the Dominican Republic, where it landed safely.

“An inspection revealed evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire. No guest injuries were reported,” the airline confirmed in a statement. The incident has led to the immediate suspension of airport operations as authorities assess the ongoing threat from gang violence around the airport.

This latest attack comes after MSS forces, under the command of Kenyan General Godfrey Otunge, announced last month that they had cleared the international airport of armed gangs that had held the facility for months. MSS forces have been demolishing gang hideouts near the airport, where criminal groups had set up bases to disrupt air traffic and smuggle goods through the country’s primary entry point.

“There are ongoing demolitions targeting buildings that were used by gang members around the airport,” Otunge stated in late October.

The gang-fueled violence has been exacerbated by political instability in Haiti. The nation’s transitional council, formed to restore democracy, recently dismissed interim Prime Minister Gary Conille, replacing him with businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aime. The council’s decision follows Conille’s recent visit to Kenya, where he discussed security cooperation with President William Ruto amid a wave of gang violence that claimed over 70 lives in Central Haiti.

The MSS mission, which aims to stabilize Haiti’s key infrastructure and support the transitional government, has faced mounting challenges as gangs continue to target vital facilities. The recent airport attack highlights the uphill battle for control over strategic points in a country struggling to contain violent armed groups and restore order.