Passengers bought tickets to Jamaica but were flown to Barbados: Air Peace denies stranding them
December 30, 2025
Nigeria’s largest airline, Air Peace, has rejected claims that it stranded passengers in Barbados after selling them tickets to Jamaica, following reports that travellers were unexpectedly diverted during the carrier’s inaugural Caribbean operations.
The allegations were published by Nigeria’s Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), which claimed that passengers booked on a Lagos–Kingston service were left stranded in Barbados after a last-minute change to their itinerary.
Air Peace says the report is “misleading” and insists no passenger was forced to travel to a destination they did not choose.
Passengers claim they booked Jamaica but were forced to fly to Barbados
According to FIJ, several passengers said they only learned at the airport that their flight would no longer operate to Kingston, Jamaica, but instead terminate in Barbados.
FIJ quoted one unnamed passenger who claimed that during check-in on 21 December, Jamaica-bound travellers were pressured to accept rerouted tickets or risk losing their money.
“When check-in commenced on 21 December, all Jamaican passengers, including myself, were coerced into changing our tickets from Lagos–Kingston to Lagos–Barbados,” the passenger said. “Despite holding a valid Jamaican visa, I was forced to travel to a country with which I had no prior connection or arrangements.”
Passengers were then reportedly detained on arrival in Barbados. Without the necessary documentation, they were deported back to Nigeria, arriving in Lagos two days later on 23 December.
PRESS STATEMENT: 29-12-2025#BetterDealWithAirPeace pic.twitter.com/yxW7slrJqB
— Air Peace (@flyairpeace) December 29, 2025
Air Peace disputes that account. In a statement issued on 29 December, the airline said all tickets were sold in line with international aviation regulations and that passengers were not misled about their travel arrangements.
“At no point did the airline engage in deceptive sales or intentionally mislead any passenger regarding their travel arrangements,” Air Peace stated.
Air Peace blames transit visa issues for stranded passengers
Air Peace says the disruption stemmed from transit visa requirements discovered during pre-departure checks at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
The carrier said that some passengers booked to travel via Antigua did not hold the necessary transit visas to continue to destinations including Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
According to Air Peace, “in compliance with regulatory requirements,” affected passengers were offered a full refund of their tickets.
Air Peace added that while some passengers accepted refunds, others voluntarily requested to be rerouted via Barbados, which does not require Nigerian passport holders to obtain a transit visa for onward travel to Jamaica and other Caribbean destinations.
The airline said 42 passengers “freely and expressly” chose to travel via Barbados, and denied claims that anyone was coerced or compelled to do so.
Delayed arrival in Barbados meant connections were missed
Air Peace acknowledged that an operational delay caused the aircraft to arrive later than scheduled in Barbados, resulting in passengers missing their onward connections.
According to the airline, the onward tickets were held with a third-party carrier, which did not honour them following the delay. Air Peace has not named the airline involved.
Flights between Barbados and Kingston are typically operated by carriers such as InterCaribbean Airways and Caribbean Airlines.
The airline said this sequence of events led to some passengers being left without confirmed onward travel arrangements.
Why did the Barbados immigration authorities refuse some passengers entry?
FIJ reported that passengers were detained on arrival in Barbados and subsequently deported to Nigeria, arriving back in Lagos on 23 December.
Air Peace said immigration decisions were outside its control and emphasised that Barbados authorities assess passengers on a case-by-case basis.
According to the airline, 25 passengers were denied entry after failing to meet local immigration requirements, while 67 passengers from the same flight were granted entry and allowed to continue their journeys.
In response to claims that stranded passengers were not provided accommodation, Air Peace said some hotel bookings could not be confirmed due to declined card payments.
Air Peace: A history in brief
A private Nigerian airline, Air Peace, was founded in 2013 by businessman, lawyer and current CEO Allen Onyema. The airline officially began operations in 2014, operating a small fleet of Dornier 328 and Boeing 737 aircraft. In addition to scheduled passenger services, the airline also operates humanitarian and evacuation flights.
Complementing its domestic network, in 2017 the airline launched its first international route to neighbouring Accra in Ghana. It has since added other international and long-haul destinations to its network, including services to Sharjah and Johannesburg.
In 2024, the airline began direct flights to London (Gatwick), ending the monopoly from London Heathrow that had long been dominated by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic. In October 2025, the airline began flying to London Heathrow.
Air Peace currently operates a fleet of around 34 aircraft for both its mainline operations and those of its regional subsidiary Air Peace Hopper. Its fleet is comprised of aircraft from the Boeing 737 series, Boeing 777 wide-bodies and Embraer regional jets. The airline is also currently wet-leasing four Airbus A320-200s, due to some of its own aircraft being inactive.
Featured image: Air Peace
