All U.S. airlines and other commercial operators have been banned from flying into Haiti for at least 30 days, the Federal Aviation Administration announced Tuesday.

The decision came a day after a Spirit Airlines and JetBlue Airways flights sustained gunfire over Port-au-Prince airspace on Monday. The Spirit flight was a mile east of Toussaint Louverture International Airport when it was fired on, and the JetBlue fight had just taken off and was bound for New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. No passengers were injured, the airlines said, but a spokesperson for Spirit said that a flight attendant sustained minor injuries.

In response to the incident, JetBlue announced cancellation of flights until Dec. 2, while American Airlines said flights would be canceled until Thursday. Spirit, which canceled flights out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport into both Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien, said flights were canceled pending an investigation of the shooting.

The FAA issued the Notice to Air Mission, known as a NOTAM, prohibiting U.S. civil aviation operations in the territory and airspace of Haiti below 10,000 feet after initially issuing the prohibition until Monday.

The notice applies to all operators of civil aircraft registered in the U.S except when the operator of such an aircraft is a foreign air carrier. Exceptions are made for emergencies and flights authorized by the U.S. government or agency with approval of the FAA.

Haitian-owned Sunrise Airways says neither the ban nor Monday’s shootings have affected its flights. The airline, which flies to several Caribbean destinations, operates flights between Miami International Airport and Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien.

This marks the second time this year air travel in and out of Haiti has been disrupted by the country’s escalating gang violence. After gangs launched coordinated attacks in late February to force the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry the country’s airports were closed for nearly three months.

Haitian leaders have not said anything about the shootings, which occurred during a day in which police and gangs were engaged in several firefights, and after members of a gang coalition threatened violence after the ruling presidential council ousted Prime Minister Garry Conille and tapped businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aime to replace him.

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader on Monday called the shooting at the airplanes an act of terrorism.

This story was originally published November 12, 2024, 2:24 PM.