MONROVIA — Several airlines have canceled inbound flights to Liberia after a private jet carrying President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and his entourage experienced a near-crash landing at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) on Thursday, leaving the aircraft stranded on the active runway.
Kenya Airways, Air Peace, and other international carriers scheduled to land in Monrovia on Thursday halted operations indefinitely as authorities scrambled to manage the disruption caused by the incident. As of Thursday evening, it remained unclear when the aircraft would be removed to allow normal operations to resume.
Airport sources told The Liberian Investigator that the private jet’s tire reportedly burst during landing, causing the aircraft to abruptly stop mid-runway. The sudden halt triggered panic among those on board.
“The aircraft came to a complete stop on the runway. It could not move any further,” a source at RIA who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
The incident involved the same private jet that had carried President Boakai and his delegation to Nigeria earlier this week. Upon return Thursday, the tire malfunction occurred shortly after touchdown. In response, airport emergency protocols were activated, and the President was promptly disembarked by his official motorcade. Members of his delegation were transported from the runway via an airport shuttle bus.
Despite the alarming nature of the landing, no injuries were reported. “The President and all on board are safe and unharmed,” the source confirmed.
Meanwhile, the Management of the Roberts International Airport (RIA) released an official statement acknowledging the incident and taking responsibility for infrastructure challenges that may have contributed to the malfunction.
“We are aware that one of the aircraft’s tires burst upon landing, prompting a precautionary stop on the runway,” the RIA statement said. “Preliminary investigations suggest that the incident may have been caused by the poor state of our runway, specifically the presence of potholes.”
The airport authority said it is taking immediate corrective action. “We take full responsibility for the condition of our infrastructure and assure the public that we are taking immediate action to rectify the situation,” the statement continued.
RIA added, “The safety and security of our passengers and aircraft are our top priority. We are working diligently to repair and maintain our runway to prevent such incidents in the future.”
The authority also expressed regret for the inconvenience caused. “We apologize for any inconvenience this incident may have caused, particularly to the President and his delegation, as well as to other grounded aircraft and those diverted due to this incident,” the management stated.
“We appreciate the professionalism and quick response of our emergency services and the aircraft’s crew in ensuring the safety of all on board. We are grateful that no one was harmed during the incident,” RIA added.
Flight disruption at RIA is expected to continue until the aircraft is removed. The airport operates a single main runway, and with the plane blocking it, incoming and outgoing traffic remains severely limited.
The safety of Liberia’s aviation infrastructure has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to improve our facilities and services to meet international standards. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work to resolve this matter,” the airport management stated.
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