Air Peace to Refund Jamaica Passengers After Barbados Diversion, NCAA Confirms

January 2, 2026 at 02:23 PM•3 min read

Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) confirms Air Peace will refund Jamaica-bound passengers stranded in Barbados following a December 21, 2025 flight diversion.

Key Points

1Air Peace agreed to refund affected Jamaica-bound passengers following NCAA mediation, despite refuting allegations of misconduct.
2The controversy stemmed from a December 21, 2025 flight where some passengers, lacking transit visas via Antigua, were rerouted to Barbados, leading to 25 deportations.
3The NCAA will issue a Letter of Investigation (LOI) to Air Peace to interpret regulations and prevent future recurrence, with potential sanctions if culpability is found.

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has confirmed a major resolution in a recent passenger dispute. Air Peace Limited agreed to issue a full refund to Jamaica-bound passengers. These travelers were reportedly stranded in Barbados following a flight diversion in late December 2025.

Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, announced the agreement. He confirmed the development on his verified X handle on Friday. The resolution followed a direct phone conversation with the Chairman of Air Peace.

Conflicting Accounts of the Diversion

The dispute centers on a flight that departed Lagos on December 21, 2025. Passengers claimed they purchased tickets for a Lagos–Kingston, Jamaica, flight. They were then informed at the airport of a change to Barbados instead.

Air Peace strongly refuted allegations of misleading passengers. The airline stated all tickets were sold according to international aviation regulations. The carrier explained that during pre-departure checks at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, some passengers lacked the required transit visas. These visas were necessary for travel via Antigua to their final destinations, including Jamaica.

The Rerouting and Deportation

Air Peace claims it immediately offered full refunds to the affected passengers. The airline states some accepted this offer. Others, however, voluntarily requested rerouting through Barbados. Barbados is a visa-free destination for Nigerian passport holders. The airline facilitated this rerouting for 42 passengers based on their voluntary request.

Upon arrival in Barbados, 25 passengers were denied entry by immigration authorities. Reasons cited included insufficient funds, lack of onward tickets to Jamaica, and unsatisfactory accommodation details. These passengers were subsequently deported back to Nigeria. Air Peace maintains that 67 other passengers from the same flight were granted entry to continue their journeys.

Regulatory Intervention and Resolution

Achimugu noted that the NCAA sought to resolve the case through simple mediation. He called on the Air Peace chairman to approve the Air Peace passenger refund as a goodwill gesture. The chairman agreed to the refund, despite the airline's stance that it had acted lawfully. The airline views the refund as a financial loss it has agreed to bear.

The NCAA is still pursuing a Letter of Investigation (LOI) to the airline.
This LOI will interpret regulations to prevent similar issues in the future.
Sanctions will apply if the airline is found culpable on any points.

This case highlights the complexities of airline consumer protection and international travel documentation. The NCAA's intervention demonstrates the regulator's role in balancing passenger rights and operator responsibilities. Under Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023, airlines must process electronic refunds within 14 days. The resolution brings closure to the Lagos to Jamaica flight controversy. For more commercial aviation news, visit https://flying.flights.