CAPITOL HILL – The Management of the Liberia Aviation Authority (LAA) has attributed the recent power outage at Roberts International Airport (RIA) to a bird strike on a transformer, which serves as a major electricity source for the airport. The incident caused an abrupt disruption and plunged the airport into darkness.
Both the LAA and the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) appeared before the Senate’s Joint Committee on Energy and Transport during a public hearing on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at the Capitol Building in Monrovia. The hearing aimed to determine the cause of the outages at RIA, which led to national embarrassment for the Liberian government.
During the hearing, LAA Deputy Managing Director for Technical Services, Mr. Jonathan Enders, explained that the incident was caused by a bird strike, which he described as a natural disaster. The impact damaged the transformer and severely affected the automatic transfer switch (ATS), a system that plays a crucial role in managing the airport’s power supply.
According to LAA management, birds are often attracted to the airport due to garbage dumped around its perimeter. The LAA blamed residents of the Smell No Taste Community and other nearby areas—including airport personnel—for improperly disposing of waste near the facility, thereby attracting birds that interfere with the electrical infrastructure.
The bird strike reportedly occurred on Sunday, March 25, 2025. In response, the airport switched to its private generator and invited an LEC team to assess the damage. On March 30, 2025, the LEC conducted a final assessment and determined that a power surge likely caused additional damage to the ATS.
Enders noted that the outage also damaged several electrical components, including power synchronizers, relays, the ATS, and fuses. He emphasized that while LAA had previously cleared a dumpsite near the airport, residents had secretly created another one behind the facility, further attracting birds.
He clarified that the power outage only affected the terminal building at RIA, while the runways and VIP lounge remained unaffected. “It is very important to state that the runways were never affected,” Enders said.
“This is the peak season for large birds, and unfortunately, bird strikes are natural occurrences beyond our control,” he added. “We are working with the Liberia Land Authority to remove residents who have settled near the airport perimeter.”
Meanwhile, Acting Managing Director of the LEC, Thomas Z. Gonkarwon, provided several recommendations to the Joint Committee to prevent a recurrence. He proposed a review of the internal configuration of the ATS and the establishment of an alternative or bypass connection to mitigate future incidents.
As part of its mitigation strategy, the LEC plans to provide a standby transformer with a bypass connection to ensure continued power supply in the event of another failure.
Additionally, Acting Managing Director of the LAA, Mr. Jero Merd-Cole, outlined the agency’s long-term plans to enhance power reliability at the airport. These include installing a new transformer, increasing backup power capacity, and exploring renewable energy sources such as solar power.
Although the bird strike was an unforeseen event, both the LAA and LEC have committed to strengthening the airport’s power infrastructure. The LAA is in the process of procuring a new 3-megawatt transformer to reduce reliance on the national grid and enhance the airport’s energy resilience. The agency is also exploring solar energy solutions as a sustainable alternative.
The LAA announced an increase in backup generator capacity to 2.5 megawatts, ensuring that key areas—such as the terminal building, control tower, and VIP lounge—remain operational during future power disruptions.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Joint Committee Chair Senator Saah H. Joseph announced that the witnesses would remain under oath until the Committee’s full investigation is completed.
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