The fanfare of the flights between West Africa and Antigua and Barbuda fizzled quickly, leading to the suspension of the route until several fundamental matters are resolved.
ST. JOHN’S, Antigua (January 27, 2023)—The Government of Antigua and Barbuda officially announced the suspension, with immediate effect, of the route between West Africa and Antigua and Barbuda. But it was an announcement that begot more questions, with Minister of Information Melford Nicholas seeking to correct the notes from the Cabinet meeting released Thursday morning which attributed the suspension to undisclosed compliance issues of Antigua Airways to the strictures of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority.
“The charter flight that intervened utilizing the same facility that Antigua Airways had done would have been the violating party, and so I would want to correct that bit of information rather than Antigua Airways,” Nicholas said during the Post-Cabinet Press Briefing on Thursday. He provided no further information on the operators of the violating charter flights.
“It is not known to us that Antigua Airways had done any violation. What I want to restate is in order to establish the commercial viability of that route, Antigua Airways did start with some charters to test the waters if you would. Below the radar, another entity would have organized a charter specifically with the intent to use Antigua as a trans-migration pathway into South America and to be able to get persons who are desirous of entering the United States. That is the information that we got from our security services and our intelligence services, and so that is the reason why we have closed the option for any further charter flights like that,” Nicholas added.
At the start of the press briefing, he said, “We are mindful of the challenges that exist now with the number of charter flights that have been established on that route. And, of course, we want to ensure that insofar as we exist in the context of the comity of nations, we would not want that facility to be abused. We have looked at it and have made a determination to suspend those charter flights save and until we can rectify those challenges that present themselves with what has taken place so far.”
With much fanfare, including a water cannon salute, on November 1, 2022, on the forty-first anniversary of political independence, government officials welcomed the first charter flight operating under the aegis of Antigua Airways. Antigua Airways is a partnership between the government and an Abuja, Nigeria-based company, Marvelous Mike Press Ltd.
Despite the government’s efforts, instead of acceptance, the venture raised concern in the public, sustained by many accounts from passengers who admitted to being indigent and in pursuit of access to the borders of the United States.
The reports went unaddressed from November until this week—one week past general elections in which the incumbent Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party was returned to office for a third term albeit with a one-seat majority.
Minister Nicholas did not address the timing save to say Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin asked for an immediate suspension of inbound flights while government recalibrates issues related to visa requirements and onward travel to other destinations. Government, Nicholas confirmed, is still committed to establishing the route to bolster tourism, commerce and cultural pursuits, as well as an avenue for outbound travel to Africa from Antigua.
But the matter of the Africans who remain—a reported 803 arrived over the series of flights but it is unclear how many are still here—is still a question.
“It is recognized that there are a number of persons who had come on earlier flights who are still in Antigua and may need to be returned to their respective jurisdictions. So inasmuch as there is going to be a suspension of any further inbound flights with passengers, we will obviously have to arrange for an aircraft to arrive to take those persons who are here back home in the preceding days and weeks,” Nicholas said.
