BRIDGETOWN, Barbados — Nigerian carrier Air Peace is hitting back against allegations that it “dumped” and abandoned dozens of passengers at the Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) last week. The airline claims that while 25 travelers were denied entry and deported, the situation was the result of visa complications and failed individual immigration checks rather than airline negligence. The incident, which began on December 21, 2025, saw a group of travelers bound for Kingston, Jamaica, diverted to Barbados after it was discovered in Lagos that several passengers lacked the necessary transit visas for the original route through Antigua.
This situation raises serious questions about the transparency of international flight operations and the duty of care airlines owe to their passengers. Affected travelers have painted a harrowing picture of their ordeal, suggesting that the airline’s profit margins were prioritized over passenger welfare. Speaking to international media, several passengers claimed they were only informed of the route change upon arrival at the Lagos airport for check-in. They alleged they were coerced into changing their destination to Barbados under threat of forfeiting their non-refundable tickets, a tactic that, if true, reflects a predatory approach to customer service. Upon arrival at GAIA, the situation reportedly deteriorated as passengers claimed they were left at the terminal without assistance from Air Peace, leading to a 24-hour standoff with Barbadian immigration authorities. Reports of travelers being held in detention without adequate food or water before being deported on December 23 suggest a failure in the basic human responsibility of the carrier to ensure its passengers are not left in a state of international limbo.
In a detailed statement released Monday, Air Peace management described the “dumping” narrative as misleading and detached from the facts. The airline maintained that forty-two passengers freely and expressly chose to be rerouted through Barbados—a visa-free transit point for Nigerian passport holders—after being offered full refunds in Lagos. They attributed the missed connections in Bridgetown to an unforeseen operational delay and emphasized that while 67 passengers in the group were granted entry into Barbados, 25 were denied by local authorities for reasons including declined credit card transactions and suspicious return dates. The airline stated that the Barbados immigration authorities exercised their sovereign mandate to assess each passenger individually and that such decisions are beyond the airline’s obligation. However, one must wonder how an airline can market a “seamless” connection between Lagos and the Caribbean while seemingly failing to account for the rigorous scrutiny its passengers would face upon arrival.
While Barbadian authorities have yet to issue a formal public statement on the specific treatment of the detainees, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has confirmed it is looking into the matter. Michael Achimugu, NCAA Director of Public Affairs, stated that Consumer Protection Officers have been directed to investigate the claims of coercion and abandonment. This incident serves as a cautionary tale for the new monthly commercial schedule between Lagos and the Caribbean, which Air Peace launched just this month. If the airline wishes to foster genuine tourism and trade, it must move beyond defensive press releases and address the systemic logistical failures that left these travelers stranded. A bridge between nations cannot be built on the backs of passengers who feel they have been treated as cargo rather than customers.