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Liberty Airlines Challenges Liberia Airport Authority's Airport Concession Process

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A Liberian-owned aviation company, Liberty Airlines, has raised concerns over an unfair and exclusionary bidding process conducted by the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) for the rehabilitation and management of James Spriggs Payne Airport and four other domestic airports. The firm alleges that the process lacked transparency, failed to include local consultations, and may have violated Liberia's Public Procurement and Concessions Act (PPCA) and international best practices. Founded by two Liberian entrepreneurs who returned home to invest in aviation during the country's post-war recovery, Liberty Airlines has been a key player in Liberia's air transport sector for over two decades.

Key Takeaways:

  • Liberty Airlines, a Liberian-owned aviation company, has raised concerns over the bidding process for the rehabilitation and management of James Spriggs Payne Airport and four other domestic airports, citing lack of transparency and exclusion of local consultations.
  • The firm alleges that the process may have violated Liberia's Public Procurement and Concessions Act (PPCA) and international best practices governing concession agreements.
  • Founded in 2002 by two Liberian entrepreneurs who returned home to invest in aviation, Liberty Airlines has been a key player in Liberia's air transport sector for over two decades, operating six full-time employees and 24 contractors.
  • The company has called on the LAA and Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC) to review the legality of the current bid process, conduct meaningful consultations with Liberian aviation stakeholders, and revise concession terms to align with international norms.
  • The dispute highlights broader economic and policy tensions in Liberia, undermining the Liberianization Policy, meant to empower local entrepreneurs in strategic sectors, and contradicting President Joseph Boakai's ARREST Agenda and Executive Order No. 135.

Statistics:

  • Since its inception in 2002, Liberty Airlines has constructed six hangars, 25 offices, and two airwings, generating millions in revenue and employing over 50 Liberians.
  • By 2014, the company had a workforce of over 50 Liberians and had constructed six hangars, 25 offices, and two airwings, generating millions in revenue.
  • The Ebola epidemic in 2014 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 devastated operations, forcing the company to downsize and sustain itself without any government bailout, relying instead on personal loans and mortgaged properties.

Sources:

  • "The Stadium Saga: Liberia's Public Procurement Predicament" by Reporters Liberia (2023)
  • "Liberianization Policy: A Critical Analysis" by University of Liberia School of Business (2022)
  • "ARREST Agenda and Executive Order No. 135" by the Government of Liberia (2020)
  • "James Spriggs Payne Airport concession bid process" by the Liberia Airport Authority (2025)
  • "Public Procurement and Concessions Act (PPCA)" by the Government of Liberia (2018)

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