Deadly violence in Haiti forces airlines to cancel flights after gunfire near airport

Heavy gunfire has forced flight cancellations at Haiti’s main airport and killed at least four at a police station, as the Caribbean nation grapples with surging gang violence and political instability.

Heavy gunfire has forced flight cancellations at Haiti’s main airport and killed at least four at a police station, as the Caribbean nation grapples with surging gang violence and political instability. American Airlines said Thursday it had suspended its daily service between Miami and Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince. “We will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed,” spokesperson Laura Masvidal told CNN. Haitian airline Sunrise Airways told CNN that it suspended “all flights until further notice to ensure the safety of passengers, ground crews, and aircraft.” Rapid gunfire was reported in multiple parts of Port-au-Prince on Thursday. Shootings near the airport “caused damage to some aircraft and endangered users” of the domestic terminal, according to Sunrise Airways. Haiti has been gripped by a wave of unrest and gang violence in recent years.