Air Peace has strongly rejected allegations that it sold tickets to Jamaica and later dumped passengers in Barbados, describing the claims as misleading and detached from the facts. The airline said the narrative surrounding Barbados has ignored documented passenger choices, immigration decisions, and international aviation procedures.
The airline stated that all tickets were sold in line with global airline sales practices and regulatory requirements. At no point, it stressed, were passengers deceived about their routes or final destinations. According to Air Peace, the Barbados controversy emerged from routine travel documentation checks carried out before departure from Lagos.
During standard pre-departure profiling at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, airline officials discovered that several passengers lacked the required transit visas to travel through Antigua. This posed a regulatory obstacle to continuing their journeys to destinations such as Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago. In compliance with aviation rules, Air Peace immediately offered full refunds to the affected passengers.
While some passengers accepted the refund option, others declined and instead explored alternative routes that would allow visa-free transit. These passengers voluntarily requested to be rerouted through Barbados, a country that Nigerian passport holders can transit without a visa en route to Jamaica and other Caribbean destinations. Air Peace emphasised that this decision originated entirely from the passengers.
In total, forty-two passengers freely chose to have their tickets rerouted through Barbados after being presented with their available options. The airline stressed that none of the passengers was compelled, pressured, or misled into travelling to Barbados, countering claims that they were abandoned there against their will.
However, an unforeseen operational delay disrupted the revised travel plan. The delay resulted in the passengers arriving in Barbados later than scheduled, which caused them to miss their onward connections. Compounding the situation, the airline with which the passengers had onward bookings declined to honour those tickets. This decision, Air Peace said, was outside its control and left the passengers temporarily stranded in Barbados.
Further complications arose during immigration processing in Barbados. According to the airline, some passengers attempting to secure hotel accommodation had their credit card transactions declined. As a result, there was no verifiable proof of confirmed accommodation for their stay. Barbados immigration officials also raised concerns about passengers whose return tickets showed a date of 31 December 2025, even though they had no evidence of alternative travel arrangements for the intervening months.
These concerns prompted Barbados immigration authorities to exercise their sovereign right to assess each traveller individually. Air Peace noted that immigration clearance decisions fall solely within the authority of the host country and are beyond the airline’s operational responsibility. The airline maintained that it complied fully with all requests from officials in Barbados during the assessment process.
Out of the broader passenger group that travelled through Barbados, sixty-seven passengers were granted entry and allowed to continue their journeys without restriction. However, twenty-five passengers were denied entry based on immigration concerns relating to accommodation, onward travel plans, and financial documentation. Air Peace said this distinction demonstrates that entry decisions were selective and procedural, rather than arbitrary.
The airline reiterated that it neither abandoned nor dumped any passenger in Barbados. It stated that its actions throughout the incident were guided by transparency and good faith. These actions included offering refunds at the earliest stage, facilitating voluntary rerouting upon request, providing on-ground assistance where possible, and ensuring that affected passengers were eventually returned safely.
Air Peace further explained that the Barbados situation has been mischaracterised by reports that failed to verify facts with relevant stakeholders. According to the airline, such reporting has fuelled unnecessary public outrage and overlooked the role of passenger choice and immigration sovereignty in the unfolding events.
Reaffirming its commitment to professionalism, Air Peace said it continues to operate in strict compliance with international aviation regulations and customer service standards. The airline stressed that incidents involving Barbados should be viewed within the broader context of global travel compliance, where airlines, passengers, and immigration authorities each have defined responsibilities.
The carrier urged media organisations to approach aviation-related stories with balance and diligence. It encouraged journalists to engage airlines, regulators, and airport authorities before publishing reports that could misinform the travelling public or damage confidence in the aviation sector.
Air Peace concluded that the Barbados episode underscores the importance of passenger awareness regarding visa requirements, transit rules, and documentation obligations. It maintained that when airlines and passengers act within established regulations, challenges can be managed without distortion or sensationalism.
