Airlines may restrict flights to certain destinations for a variety of reasons. For example, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, some countries placed sanctions on Russia and its airlines. In response, Russia limited its airspace to certain carriers and countries, according to EuroNews.
In some cases, airlines are forced to halt journeys to certain destinations over issues like gang violence.
This week, JetBlue Airways, Spirit Airlines, and American Airlines announced that they have paused flights to Haiti. This came after two planes were hit by gunfire as they attempted to land in the country.
According to The New York Times, a Spirit Airlines flight attempting to land in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was shot at on Monday and forced to divert. In the Dominican Republic, an inspection revealed bullet holes in the plane.
A separate JetBlue flight departing Port-au-Prince was hit by a bullet, which was discovered after the plane landed in New York.
The FAA is urgently considering banning U.S. flights to Haiti in the wake of Monday's gunfire incidents, with a decision expected Tuesday, according to multiple officials. https://t.co/ZOCtinRoj8 pic.twitter.com/wd4BlXLulK
— ABC News (@ABC) November 12, 2024
In a statement, JetBlue said, “Our top priority remains the safety and well-being of our customers and crewmembers.”
“Due to the ongoing civil unrest in Haiti, we have made the decision to suspend all flights to and from the country through December 2. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and update our plans as necessary,” they added.
American Airlines informed customers that its “daily service from Miami International Airport (MIA) has been suspended until Monday, Nov. 18.”
“We will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed,” the airline added.