CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
Antigua Pushes Ahead with Africa Flights as Browne Dismisses Opposition Allegations over Antigua Airways
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has defended his government’s efforts to deepen aviation ties with Africa, stating that Antigua and Barbuda is leading the Caribbean in forging historic and strategic links with the continent.
His comments came as Parliament ratified a new Air Services Agreement with Rwanda.
The Prime Minister dismissed opposition concerns about the controversial Antigua Airways initiative, arguing that the project was rooted in a long-term vision to reconnect the Caribbean with the African continent through trade, tourism, and cultural exchange.
“We are not just talking the talk—we are walking the walk,” Browne said in Parliament.
“There is no other Caribbean country within recent times that has done more to strengthen the relationship with Africa. Others talk, but we are acting.”
Browne outlined Antigua and Barbuda’s longstanding engagement with African nations, referencing his own leadership role in regional efforts dating back to a 2000 CARICOM meeting co-chaired with then-Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, and earlier engagements in Malta in 2015.
“Our late father of the nation, Sir Vere Cornwall Bird, had strong ties with Kenya. We are continuing that legacy,” the Prime Minister said.
He explained that Antigua Airways was part of that broader vision, launched in 2022 to facilitate charter flights between Nigeria and Antigua. “We arranged for the first transatlantic commercial flight between Africa and the Caribbean,” he noted.
“The first flight went very well. There was no issue of anyone staying back.”
However, Browne acknowledged that a second flight brought a large number of conflict migrants from Cameroon, who had entered Antigua under the guise of tourism but were later discovered to be attempting to reach the United States.
“When we realised what was happening, we took action. We stopped the charter, brought in the International Organization for Migration and the UNHCR, and followed international protocols,” he said.
“They confirmed that these were refugees and advised that they could not be returned to Cameroon.”
Responding to opposition claims that the government failed to provide answers, Browne said all developments had been made public and criticised the United Progressive Party for politicising the issue.
“You exploited the opportunity and claimed we brought them here to vote—knowing full well they could not vote,” he told the House. “If you have evidence, bring it.”
Leader of the Opposition Jamale Pringle, while supporting the Rwanda agreement in principle, raised concerns about the government’s silence on the fallout from the Antigua Airways saga.
“We’re not against establishing the air services agreement,” Pringle said. “But we cannot have another situation like what we encountered with the Antigua Airways fiasco.”
He added: “To date, we heard about some drowning, but we haven’t gotten any update from the government… How many of them remain here?”
Pringle called for the Attorney General to release the findings of an investigation promised years ago, suggesting that the public deserves clarity on what transpired.
Browne rejected the notion that the issue was unresolved, noting that the migrants had been interviewed and vetted by international agencies, and many later left the country of their own accord.
“We cannot be held responsible for people smuggling themselves out,” he said. “What are we going to do—put a policeman with a gunboat on all 365 beaches?”
Browne said the new agreement with Rwanda—and upcoming ones with Ghana and Morocco—would support Antigua’s role as a transatlantic hub ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in St John’s.
“We are strategically positioned to facilitate these flights,” he said.
“And we intend to have several charters in place by CHOGM to welcome leaders from across Africa and the Commonwealth.”
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR WHAT’S APP GROUP
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Antigua!
We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages.
Contact us at antiguanewsroom@gmail.com
Dem still pushing dis flight? Mi hope dis one last longer than Antigua Airways.
Let’s just hope everything is above board this time
I’m all for strengthening ties with Africa, but the Antigua Airways saga left a bad taste.
Why not just release a proper audit report and let the facts speak?
I still think the first flight fiasco should’ve been handled better.
PM, I am in full support of your effort to strengthen ties with Africa and the time is very ripe to do so. Please ignore all the negative comments and let us move forward with positivity and proper planning.
We also want good diplomatic relations with the Sahel States. We also need visa waiver with some of these countries. A route to Africa will open doors beyond into the Middle East.
Africa is rising and let us share the moment with our mother land. We us intensify trading, tourism, etc. We have to see what is going on around the world today and we might be located in the west but our true identity is in the east.
How many Africans are still in Antigua from the last fiasco.
Nothing beats a failure but a try. Anyone that is long enough in business knows that very well. If you do not try you have failed already. The PM is not one that will give up on something he believes in. And if we are honest enough and look around the Caribbean, almost all other islands are pursuing the veryu same thing. Barbados has signed agreements with Ethiopia and Rowhanda and Trinidad is signing with Ghana I believe it is. Jamaica I forgot which country they are targetting. But they where the one that hesitated with Nigeria before Antigua beat them to it. But we have learned our lesson I hope with Antigua Airways. Airpeace is a more reputable airline and has much more to offer and also to lose. So they will certainly make sure that their investment is worthwhile.
All I can say is good luck. It may open new opportunaties for all of us. Be mindful Nigeria is known to have many scamps. They will sell you oil wells that don’t exist. And promise you wealth untold. Don’t ever give them you money before getting your goods.
I just learned that DizzyB organizes vacation tours to Africa and many locals seem to have gone. I was told that recently they went to South Africa. They had to first travel to New York and then take Air Kenia to Nairobi and then to Johannes Burg South Africa. One can imagine the amount of travel you have to do. And if you do not have a US Visa sorry for you. The same any one from that continent cannot fly directly to the Caribbean. You have to either go through New York or London. This new gateway will be a blessing for many travelers. Direct Flight and perhaps no visa requirement eitther.
The Prime Minister has not learned any lessons from his handling of the Alfa Nero scandal or the ongoing legal case. Neither he nor Olabanjo should refer to the migrants involved as asylum seekers. Olabanjo publicly stated that “Antigua is underpopulated” and that the migrants were brought to Antigua to help increase the population. This clearly indicates that their arrival was not primarily for seeking asylum.
Moreover, international asylum laws state that individuals fleeing their country for safety should seek asylum in the nearest safe country. Antigua is not the closest safe nation to Cameroon, and not all of the migrants who arrived through Murtala Muhammed International Airport were Cameroonian. Olabanjo admitted that two of the migrants were his personal friends. He reportedly used government transportation to escort these individuals, whose names and current whereabouts remain unknown.
When will the Prime Minister stop bringing embarrassment to our nation and the wider Caribbean region? The Air Peace initiative appears to be another misguided venture, and the scandal that may result could very well become “another fine mess the Prime Minister has gotten us into.” May God help Antigua.
Didn’t we get a plane load of Africans the last time we were planning elections? Just saying!
This is another people smuggling scheme to get illegals to America. This corrupt ALP government is going to get Antiguans permanently banned from America and Canada.
Comments are closed.