Haiti risks 'complete isolation' as gunfire shuts down main airport again

Haiti’s main airport shuts down again after suspected gang gunfire hits two US planes, cutting the country off from air travel, News.Az reports citing Al Jazeera.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday banned all US airlines from operating in Haiti for 30 days, citing the two incidents involving planes from Spirit Airlines and JetBlue Airways.

It remains unclear how soon operations for any airline can resume at Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport due to passenger security and aircraft insurance concerns.

“Haiti could find itself completely isolated,” said Emilio Gonzalez, a former US National Security Council director for Latin America and former director of Miami International Airport.

“I can’t imagine any airline, passenger or commercial, will be willing to fly into a free-fire zone, which is what Haiti has become, for the foreseeable future,” he told Al Jazeera. “The Haitian government is going to have to convince the world that it’s safe to land there. That’s a huge lift right now.”

The airport, which is the busiest in Haiti, is officially closed until November 18, according to Haiti’s National Office of Civil Aviation.

Even United Nations helicopters are unable to land in Port-au-Prince for now, according to a senior UN official.

Security alert

The twin gunfire attacks on commercial flights and the ensuing airport closure mark the latest episode of instability in a country beset by gang-related violence that has claimed almost 4,000 lives this year, according to the UN.

The US embassy in Haiti issued an updated security alert on Tuesday advising its citizens against travelling to Haiti and to keep a “low profile” if they do.

“The security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous,” it said. “The US government cannot guarantee your safety travelling to airports, borders, or during any onward travel.”

The airport closure has also raised questions about the planned arrival next week of 600 Kenyan police officers, due to reinforce a UN-backed security mission meant to help the government restore order.

About 400 Kenyan police were sent to Haiti in June to help restore order after the international airport was closed for almost three months due to gunfire from nearby gang strongholds.

News.Az