There were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries.
Avenatti once represented Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against ex-US President Donald Trump.
Speed is safety as US seeks to end the nearly 20-year war, US president says.
Trump said he was serving as lead plaintiff in the class-action suits, claiming he has been wrongfully censored by the companies.
Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph said he is now in charge of the country.
The plane was thought to have crashed into a cliff as it was preparing to land in poor visibility conditions.
The demand was posted on a blog typically used by the REvil cybercrime gang.
The leak was reported in the main facility of the airport.
The confirmed death toll from the disaster is 24, with 121 people missing.