By S. Siapha Mulbah
A bird strike is being blamed for a power outage for more than nine hours that affected operations at Roberts International Airport (RIA) on Sunday, March 30, 2025.
Officials from the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) and Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) disclosed this information during a joint appearance before the Legislative Committee on Transport on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.
Jero Mends-Cole, Managing Director of the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA), and Thomas Z. Gonkerwon, Deputy Managing Director of LEC, confirmed that the bird strike had disrupted the airport’s power supply, which led to a temporary outage that day.
According to the team, birds that feed on nearby dump sites have been migrating to the vicinity of the airport’s power systems.
These birds have been perching on transformers, leading to significant electrical disruptions.
The situation was exacerbated by the birds interfering with the airport’s power infrastructure, causing transmitters to malfunction and resulting in sporadic power outages.
The power outage was thought to be the result of an electrical issue originating from the LEC power grid.
However, the revelation from the authorities clarified that the root cause of the disruption was related to bird activity around the airport’s power facilities.
The unexpected power loss disrupted operations at RIA, impacting both passengers and airport staff.
While the airport continued to operate under reduced capacity, the situation created operational challenges at the terminal.
Airport management has since apologized for the inconvenience and assured the public that efforts to resolve the situation were underway. LAA is working closely with LEC technicians to restore full power.
Before appearing to answer lawmakers’ questions, The Liberia Airport Authority issued a statement deeply regretting the inconvenience caused by the power disruption, committing fully to resolve the situation as swiftly and safely as possible.
“Despite the challenges, we are making every effort to ensure that normal operations will resume as quickly as possible,” the LAA assured in a public statement.
Both Mends-Cole and Gonkerwon acknowledged that this situation could be classified as a natural disaster, as it is linked to the behavior of wildlife in the area.
As the airport works towards resolving the issue, officials have reassured passengers and the public that all necessary steps are being taken to prevent further disruptions.
The Liberia Airport Authority and the Liberia Electricity Corporation are committed to addressing this unusual challenge, with hopes that a more permanent solution will be implemented to safeguard against future incidents.
However, members of the legislative committee condemned the response made by the Airport Authority in regards to the situation citing problems with transmitters and automatic switches.
Senator Nyan Tweyen of Nimba County expressed no confidence in the airport management for their slow pace response to the situation urging them to develop a more comprehensive plan to guide and properly manage the country’s only international airport.
He termed it as a disaster for the country following the admittance of the LEC technical team that the connections at the port are faulty. “Let the record show that the lack of a proper and comprehensive plan by the airport authority to improve the airport targeting specific areas is a disaster.”
