Liberia’s Only Airport at High Risk

LEC & LAA Officials at Recent Senate Hearing

Faulty wiring and the absence of a contingency plan, as admitted by both Thomas Gonkerwon, Acting Deputy Managing Director of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC), and Jero Mends-Cole, Acting Managing Director of the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA), have placed Roberts International Airport (RIA)—Liberia’s only international airport—at significant risk. The recent power outage on March 30, 2025, which left passengers stranded in darkness and disrupted operations for hours, has exposed severe vulnerabilities in the management of this critical national asset. With no robust systems in place to prevent or mitigate such incidents, there is a growing fear that Liberia could wake up one morning to find its only international gateway entirely inoperable.

During a Senate hearing on April 2, 2025, Gonkerwon revealed that the outage was caused by a bird strike damaging an isolator connected to a transformer. This incident shows not only environmental risks but also systemic failures in maintenance and planning within the LEC. Gonkerwon admitted that while backup generators kept runway lights operational, the terminal was plunged into chaos due to faulty wiring and inadequate infrastructure. Something he acknowledged poses a significant risk to the airport's infrastructure. He further explained that power was restored early on March 31, with a replacement transformer installed by 4:00 PM that day[1][5][8].

Equally alarming was Mends-Cole’s admission that the LAA had no contingency plan for emergencies of this nature. Despite years of investments in infrastructure upgrades and backup generators, the airport remains ill-prepared for crises. Mends-Cole attempted to reassure lawmakers by outlining plans to procure a new 3-megawatt transformer and increase backup generator capacity to 2.5 megawatts. However, these measures appear reactionary rather than part of a comprehensive risk management strategy[1][5][8].

The implications of these failures are dire. RIA is not just an airport; it is Liberia’s primary link to the global economy and serves as a hub for international travel and commerce. Its repeated power outages and infrastructural weaknesses undermine public confidence and damage Liberia’s reputation as a reliable destination for business and tourism. The lack of contingency planning means that any future incident—whether caused by technical failure or external factors—could have catastrophic consequences, potentially leaving Liberia without an operational airport[3][4][7].

Senators were justifiably critical during the hearing. Senator Nya Twayen questioned how such negligence could persist despite years of recurring outages and significant investments. Lawmakers warned that RIA could face an irreversible crisis unless immediate action is taken to address these systemic issues.

This situation demands urgent intervention at all levels. The LEC must immediately address faulty wiring and implement robust maintenance protocols to prevent further electrical failures. The LAA must develop and execute a comprehensive contingency plan to ensure uninterrupted operations during emergencies. Additionally, both agencies must work together to establish proactive measures such as clearing environmental hazards around transformers and upgrading critical infrastructure[1][6][8].

The government also bears responsibility for ensuring that RIA is adequately funded and managed despite previous investments under both current and past administrations—such as the commissioning of industrial generators in 2024—the airport continues to suffer from mismanagement and poor oversight[4][7]. President Boakai’s administration must prioritize sustained investment in modernizing the airport’s systems while enforcing strict accountability measures.

The March 30 outage should be a wake-up call for Liberia’s leaders. Faulty wiring and the absence of contingency planning are not mere technical oversights; they are symptoms of more profound institutional failures threatening the country’s global connectivity. If immediate action is not taken, Liberia may indeed wake one morning to find itself without an airport—a loss it can ill afford [3][4][9].

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Additional Sources

[1] https://inquirernewspaper.com/laa-lec-commit-to-reliable-power-supply-at-ria/

[2] https://gnnliberia.com/president-boakais-committee-engages-airport-authority-to-tackle-power-outage-and-secure-long-term-solutions/

[3] https://smartnewsliberia.com/power-outage-disrupts-operations-at-roberts-international-airport/

[4] https://allafrica.com/stories/202504010352.html

[5] https://allafrica.com/stories/202504030219.html

[6] https://reports231.com/laa-blames-birds-attack-for-recent-sudden-power-loss-at-ria/

[7] https://knewsonline.com/whos-to-blame-for-the-power-outage-at-roberts-international-airport

[8] https://frontpageafricaonline.com/news/liberia-birds-blamed-for-power-outage-at-roberts-international-airport-laa-assures-senate-of-long-term-solutions/

[9] https://allafrica.com/stories/202504030212.html

[10] https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/en.html

[11] https://www.gov.uk/search/news-and-communications

[12] https://elbcradio.com/2025/04/01/pres-boakai-appoints-liberia-electricity-corporation-acting-leadership/

[13] https://www.youtube.com/live/-BpjWjClYnc

[14] https://www.icao.int/safety/CAPSCA/PublishingImages/Pages/ICAO-SARPs-(Annexes-and-PANS)/Annex%206.pdf

[15] https://inquirernewspaper.com/power-outage-at-ria-attributed-to-bird-strike/

[16] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BpjWjClYnc

[17] https://news.sky.com/story/politics-latest-disastrous-not-to-shut-heathrow-during-power-outage-airport-boss-tells-mps-12593360

[18] https://www.army.mil/Italy

[19] https://www.ghanaweb.live/GhanaHomePage/africa/Liberia-Authorities-Blame-Birds-For-Power-Blockout-At-International-Airport-2024011

[20] http://www.heritagenewslib.com/heritage/news/news/detail/pres-boakai-appoints-acting-leadership-at-lec-2020

[21] https://www.instagram.com/abrahamtarieshowison/p/DH8t8hwNrtQ/

[22] https://frontpageafricaonline.com/news/liberia-birds-feeding-from-nearby-dumpsites-disrupt-power-supply-at-roberts-international-airport-laa-informs-senate-committee/

[23] https://thenewsnewspaperonline.com/lec-vows-maximum-eight-hours-power-outage/

[24] https://elbcradio.com/2025/04/01/power-restore-at-roberts-intl-airport-operations-regularized/

[25] https://thenewdawnliberia.com/laa-blames-power-outage-on-birds/

[26] https://sierraloaded.sl/news/blackout-liberian-airport-forces-aircraft-back-freetown/

[27] https://smartnewsliberia.com/u-s-government-issues-security-alert-on-insecurity-at-roberts-international-airport/

[28] https://airport-world.com/sustainable-and-resilient/

[29] http://www.heritagenewslib.com/heritage/news/news/detail/birds-to-blame-laa-links-ria-power-outages-to-nearby-dumpsites-2032

[30] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWYgKT_HFxM

[31] https://geezliberia.com/2025/04/birds-from-nearby-dumpsites-blamed-for-power-outage-at-roberts-international-airport/

[32] https://smartnewsliberia.com/pres-boakai-returns-from-ivory-coast-with-assurances-of-assistance-in-agriculture-electricity-and-security/

[33] https://africanewsbits.com/swarm-of-birds-blamed-for-power-outage-at-liberias-interl-airport/

[34] https://smartnewsliberia.com/alleged-leak-liberian-president-joseph-boakais-deception-on-war-crimes-court-establishment/

[35] https://liberianinvestigator.com/update/liberia-airport-authority-attributes-recent-abrupt-power-outage-at-ria-to-bird-strike/