Haiti is in the grip of a deep political crisis, with armed gangs controlling large parts of the country.

On Monday, a new prime minister was installed by the country’s ruling council after former leader Garry Conille was ousted less than six months into office.

The Spirit Airlines flight was scheduled to land at Toussaint Louverture International Airport on Monday just before 12:00 local time (17:00 GMT) when it was hit.

Unverified video of the incident shared on social media appears to show multiple bullet holes inside the aircraft, where the crew sits during takeoff and landing.

Spirit Airlines said damage “consistent with gunfire” was found when the plane was inspected at Santiago airport. The aircraft has been taken out of service, Spirit added.

The airline said it had also suspended flights to Haiti “pending further assessment”.

Two other US airlines, American Airlines and JetBlue, have also suspended flights to Haiti until at least Thursday.

The security situation has further deteriorated in Haiti in recent months. In October, gang members opened fire on a UN helicopter, prompting some airlines to temporarily cancel flights to the Caribbean nation.

A UN-backed police mission led by Kenyan officers began in June in an attempt to restore control of the gangs.

Spirit is a Florida-based low-cost airline that flies to the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America.