“Who’s to Blame for the Power Outage at Roberts International Airport?”

Margibi Co, Liberia: Roberts International Airport (RIA) witnessed a disturbing recurrence of power outages on the evening of March 30, 2025, as the airport was plunged into darkness at around 10:00 PM, leaving passengers stranded and struggling to navigate the terminal.

A Night in the Dark
       
                          By: Emmanuel Kangar

RIA Dark at Night (March 30th 2025 )

The blackout caused significant disruption, particularly for passengers on SN Brussels flights, who landed in darkness. The entire terminal was affected, with both the Presidential Lounge and the Passenger Terminal completely dark, causing fear and confusion among passengers and airport staff.

Security personnel, the only staff visible in the darkened airport, were seen using torches to continue their work as they managed the situation. Unfortunately, there was no immediate alternative for passengers, who were forced to walk in darkness to find their way to the RIA terminal.

Management Under Fire

The power outage prompted immediate criticism of the airport’s management, with many questioning the preparedness of Liberia’s only international airport to handle such a widespread failure. The incident has once again raised concerns about the airport’s infrastructure, which has been plagued by power instability in recent years.

Airport’s Response

After hours of darkness, a press release from the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) confirmed that the outage, which began at approximately 5:00 PM, was caused by an electrical issue from the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) power grid.

The statement explained that the disruption led to significant operational challenges at the terminal, affecting both passengers and staff. LAA officials expressed their regret over the incident, apologizing for the inconvenience caused and assuring the public that efforts were underway to restore full power. They also mentioned that LAA was collaborating closely with LEC technicians to resolve the issue.

“The Liberia Airport Authority deeply regrets any inconvenience caused by this disruption and is fully committed to resolving the situation as swiftly and safely as possible,” the press release stated.

Despite the challenges, LAA reassured the public that all necessary measures were being taken to restore normal operations as quickly as possible to minimize delays.

This isn’t the first time power outages have caused turmoil at Roberts International Airport. Back in March 2022, under the administration of former President George Weah, a similar incident occurred. President Weah and other officials arrived at the airport to find it plunged into darkness due to electrical issues, which created challenges for nighttime operations and raised serious safety concerns.

In response to the crisis, President Weah established a cabinet committee tasked with addressing the airport’s electrical problems. This included the procurement of new generators and the exploration of solar power solutions. By October 2022, two new 750 KVA generators were installed at the airport in an effort to stabilize the power supply.

However, despite these measures, power outages have continued to affect RIA, with the most recent incident serving as a stark reminder of the airport’s ongoing struggles with electrical reliability. In February 2024, the airport’s management again issued an apology after technical glitches disrupted both primary and secondary power sources.

As Liberia’s primary international gateway, Roberts International Airport’s ongoing power issues have raised serious questions about the country’s infrastructure capabilities. While efforts to resolve the problems have been made, this latest outage highlights the need for continued investment and upgrades to ensure the airport can operate smoothly and safely for all travelers.