Monrovia – Reviews of a safety breach involving an alleged intrusion onto the runway of the Roberts Worldwide Airport (RIA) have sparked recent issues about security and perimeter management at Liberia’s foremost aviation hub.
Nonetheless, the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA), which manages the airport, has denied that any such incident occurred.
Sources near the airport instructed FrontPageAfrica {that a} mentally sick girl reportedly breached the perimeter fence and was seen on the energetic runway earlier than being eliminated by airport safety personnel. Though no official information or airline studies verify the incident, the alleged breach has reignited scrutiny over the airport’s infrastructure and total safety readiness.
“These sorts of breaches should not new,” one supply claimed underneath situation of anonymity. “The concrete fence has a number of openings that enable individuals, cows, goats, and even snakes to enter the airport freely. The vegetation is overgrown, and there are not any patrol automobiles for normal checks, particularly at night time. Runway markings are barely seen now. It’s a critical security concern.”
The supply additionally alleged that a number of essential departments on the airport, together with safety, firefighting, and sanitation, at present lack purposeful utility automobiles because of logistical and monetary constraints.
In accordance with the supply, these departments typically depend on rented automobiles whereas senior administration makes use of assigned pickups for private functions.
The allegations come months after Transport Minister Sirleaf R. Tyler labeled the aviation sector a nationwide emergency and pledged reforms geared toward addressing operational and infrastructure challenges. Insiders, nevertheless, argue that little progress has been made.
In response, the Liberia Airport Authority has denied that any runway breach happened over the weekend, dismissing the claims as unfounded and deceptive.
“There was no report, file, or prevalence of a mad girl coming into the runway, nor any intrusion by wildlife,” a senior LAA official mentioned in a press release to FrontPageAfrica. “We function with full compliance with worldwide security and safety protocols. Not one of the airways we serve have filed complaints or incident studies associated to such claims.”
The LAA emphasised that airport safety conducts common patrols and perimeter surveillance in collaboration with nationwide safety companies, and that security stays a prime precedence regardless of ongoing infrastructure enhancements.
“The narrative that the airport is unsecured and dysfunctional will not be solely inaccurate however damaging to the credibility of the aviation sector,” the official mentioned. “We welcome constructive criticism, however it should be rooted in information.”
Roberts Worldwide Airport stays Liberia’s main gateway for worldwide journey and commerce. As the federal government seeks to modernize the sector and appeal to extra world carriers, sustaining the security, credibility, and performance of RIA is seen as central to attaining these targets.
