Current Situation: Baggage Carousel Failure at V.C. Bird Causes Long Passenger Lines, Delays

Published December 30, 2025, 2:04 PM

All Passengers Make Their Flights as Airport Clears Baggage Backlog — Long lines at V.C Bird International Airport

Travellers at V.C. Bird International Airport experienced long delays and frustration on Monday after a key baggage carousel became inoperable, causing a backlog of departing passengers waiting to drop off their luggage after being checked in.

Current Situation: Baggage Carousel Failure at V.C. Bird Causes Long Passenger Lines, Delays — Long lines at V.C Bird International Airport

Passengers reported that the main carousel at the airport was down, forcing bag handlers to carry their bags.

The malfunction led to extended wait times at the departure area, with travellers standing in long lines to drop off their bags.

The Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority (ABAA) confirmed that technicians were on site working to repair the faulty carousel.

This story was first published by Antigua News on December 30, 2025 at 2:04 PM (Antigua time, UTC−4): antigua.news/2025/12/30/current-situation-baggage-carousel-failure-at-v-c-bird-causes-long-passenger-lines-delays. © 2025 Antigua News. Republication without permission is not allowed.

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Comments (24)

Amethisyah December 30, 2025, 2:13 PM

My oh my! Record visitors without the infrastructure to ease their journey. The sad thing is, it is not new as when I was there in July it broke down also. A sad reflection of those who run the airport.
Reply
- Concerned Antiguan December 31, 2025, 7:38 AM
  
  Come on now… this should be fixed as priority. Thousands coming through this week.
  Reply
Antiguan to the bone December 30, 2025, 2:17 PM

SABOTAGE!!!!!!!
Reply
- Rita Brathwaite December 30, 2025, 3:36 PM
  
  Pitiful.
  Reply
- Praying for Antigua December 30, 2025, 5:59 PM
  
  It’s more than a year the carousel is down,
  Can Antiguans run anything?
  Reply
- Zackie January 3, 2026, 7:45 PM
  
  @Antiguan…..You mean ABLP to the bone. Why the hell would anyone want to sabotage the airport? It’s just the personal enrichment causing money that should have been used for essential purposes going into your beloved politicians pockets
  Reply
Tromos December 30, 2025, 3:39 PM

That is something else….
Reply
Teacher for Life December 30, 2025, 3:45 PM

Installation followed by frequent inspection and maintenance. You can’t just install or build something without inspecting and servicing it.
Reply
Antigua and Barbuda Rise to the next level December 30, 2025, 4:09 PM

Thus is quite coincidental. First the boardwalk at the seaport, now its the baggage carousel at the airport. What’s next, Falmouth and English Harbour? So who says it’s sabotage? Too many positives in tourism and Global Ports coming on quite nicely now.
Same time, too many bad minded , jealous, haters of country and by extension themselves are on the loose. Set them up and then lock them up.
Reply
- Teacher for Life December 30, 2025, 5:28 PM
  
  Now that you mention it…. all this could indeed be in retaliation for the Old Road situation. If that’s the case, then I say investigate and lock up any and every body involved. You can’t keep sabotaging an entire country’s economic welfare to satisfy your petty political grievances. Burning infrastructure hurt all Antiguans and if the boardwalk and subsequently the damaged baggage machine were indeed political get back, then heads should fking roll.
  Reply
- Be better informed before saying such idiocracy. December 31, 2025, 10:13 AM
  
  Carousel has been like that for years…it’s not a recent problem. You all are only just hearing about it now. That’s all. The last home porting season, the same issue was there. So no I highly doubt it’s sabotage *now*. Since the airport was built. It’s only now really causing an issue because of the increase in the number of tourists we are now experiencing.
  Reply
- No. December 31, 2025, 10:14 AM
  
  Carousel has been like that for years…it’s not a recent problem. You all are only just hearing about it now. That’s all. The last home porting season, the same issue was there. So no I highly doubt it’s sabotage *now*. Since the airport was built. It’s only now really causing an issue because of the increase in the number of tourists we are now experiencing.
  Reply
- No. December 31, 2025, 10:15 AM
  
  Carousel has been like that for years…it’s not a recent problem. You all are only just hearing about it now. That’s all. The last home porting season, the same issue was there. So no I highly doubt it’s sabotage *now*. Since the airport was built. It’s only now really causing an issue because of the increase in the number of tourists we are now experiencing.
  Reply
Come December 30, 2025, 7:57 PM

Tourist season and this is the welcome? Not a good look for Antigua.
Reply
Lena December 30, 2025, 10:07 PM

Maintenance must be ongoing not wait until crisis
Reply
unruly one December 31, 2025, 4:00 AM

We begging for world-class tourism but luggage carousel can’t even spin
Reply
Leo H K Smith December 31, 2025, 6:30 AM

Antigua and Barbuda Airport Authority must initiate a preventative maintenance system. It would have solved many of the current issues plaguing the airport. The issues with the runway, taxiways, aprons, baggage carousels, seating areas and water availability and most importantly, the RADAR. Remember that ABAA is a Statutory Corporation, so government involvement is, or should be, minimal. Obviously, they need to choose knowledgeable people with aviation operation expertise to get the job done and that has been our lingering problem since ABAAs incorporation in 2007.
Reply
- No. December 31, 2025, 10:15 AM
  
  Carousel has been like that for years…it’s not a recent problem. You all are only just hearing about it now. That’s all. The last home porting season, the same issue was there. So no I highly doubt it’s sabotage *now*. Since the airport was built. It’s only now really causing an issue because of the increase in the number of tourists we are now experiencing.⅞
  Reply
Juju Bee December 31, 2025, 1:20 PM

Nothing new. It happens in the biggest of airports
Reply
Informed citizen January 1, 2026, 7:28 PM

After a long flight, this is the last thing people want to deal with. Standing around tired, hot, and confused isn’t a good first impression
Reply
Ingrid January 2, 2026, 9:15 AM

Hope airport management has a plan, because this is peak travel time
Reply
Henrique January 2, 2026, 9:18 AM

People do realize that these things are man made!? Things happen. Maintenance problem happen in every business. I’m sure Antigua.news has maintenance problem they don’t write about! We do face issues!
Reply
Monique January 2, 2026, 9:23 AM

I must say thank you to the guys who dealt with these bags!! I stood and watch them working so hard!!
Reply
- Airport worker January 3, 2026, 6:06 AM
  
  And for very little money. Management is only concerned about disciplinary actions and terminations. Kudos to the Security Officers and baggage handlers who work their their behinds to ensure that all bags are boarded and no flights delays
  Reply

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Current Situation: Baggage Carousel Failure at V.C. Bird Causes Long Passenger Lines, Delays

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