Antigua and Barbuda has suspended the arrival of the first scheduled Air Peace flight from Lagos, Nigeria, as the government moves to minimise potential public health risks linked to active Ebola outbreaks in parts of Africa.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne made the announcement on the Browne and Browne Show on Pointe FM on Saturday. The flight had been expected to land in Antigua on Monday, May 25, before continuing onward to Barbados. It will now likely bypass Antigua and land directly in Barbados instead.
Browne described the decision as a "conservative" approach, citing ongoing Ebola outbreaks in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He stressed that while Antigua and Barbuda remains committed to building air connectivity between Africa and the Caribbean — a cause the country has long championed — protecting public health must be the government's top priority.
Authorities confirmed that transit visa waiver protocols for the trans-Atlantic route will not be implemented at this time. The government intends to continue monitoring the Ebola situation before making any decisions on future flights.
The move comes amid heightened international concern over Ebola cases in several African nations. Health officials have been working to contain outbreaks that have caused multiple infections and deaths, particularly in Uganda, where fatalities linked to the virus were previously confirmed. The Democratic Republic of Congo has also faced recurring Ebola outbreaks in recent years, prompting sustained regional and global surveillance efforts.
Locally, Antigua and Barbuda has already begun strengthening monitoring measures at its ports of entry. The Ministry of Health confirmed enhanced surveillance protocols, including increased screening and travel history checks for incoming passengers, as part of broader efforts to prevent infectious diseases from entering the country.
Browne also referenced the controversy surrounding the arrival of African migrants on Antigua Airways flights in late 2022, stating that experience had shaped the government's cautious stance on the new Air Peace route.
Air Peace had announced plans to operate twice-monthly flights between Lagos and the Caribbean, with both Antigua and Barbados listed as destinations on the route.
