Southwest Airlines flight struck by bullet prior to takeoff at Dallas airport

A Southwest Airlines plane was struck by a bullet moments before its scheduled takeoff from Dallas Love Field airport in Texas on Friday night, according to the airline.

The flight was bound for Indianapolis but returned to the gate following the frightening ordeal and passengers deplaned, according to spokespeople for Southwest and the airport.

There were no reported injuries and the plane was taken out of service.

A Southwest Airlines jet sits at a gate at Orlando International Airport on Oct. 11, 2021. REUTERS

“Southwest Airlines Flight 2494 was set to depart for Indianapolis when a bullet apparently struck the right side of the plane, just below the flight deck, as the crew was preparing for takeoff,” the Southwest spokesperson said in a statement.

Dallas police responded to the airport following the shooting at around 9:50 p.m.

Earlier this week, Haitian gangs shot three planes at or near the airport in Port-au-Prince, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to ban US airlines from going to the violence-plagued Caribbean nation for 30 days.

A Spirit Airlines plane was hit by several bullets as it tried to land at Toussaint Louverture International Airport on Monday.

A flight attendant was grazed by a round during the shooting, forcing the plane to divert to an airport in the Dominican Republic.

The following day, American Airlines and JetBlue flights departing Port-au-Prince were shot, with the bullet holes discovered during postflight inspections.

With Post wires