LCAA Launches Safety Training to Strengthen Liberia’s Aviation Sector | News

The Liberia Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA) has launched a 10-day Safety Management Systems (SMS) training aimed at strengthening safety standards, improving risk management and building a stronger safety culture across Liberia’s aviation sector.

The training, being held at the Farmington Hotel, brings together key institutions and stakeholders responsible for Liberia’s aviation operations, including the Liberia Civil Aviation Authority, Liberia Airport Authority (LAA), Roberts Flight Information Region (RFIR), Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and other aviation service providers.

The program is being supported by the European Union (EU) as part of efforts to improve the safety, efficiency and effectiveness of aviation operations in Liberia. LCAA Director General Julius D. Dennis, Jr. expressed appreciation to the EU for its collaboration and support toward strengthening Liberia’s aviation system.

Opening the training, Dennis said the program provides an opportunity for different components of Liberia’s aviation system to work together around a common objective protecting passengers, aviation personnel and aircraft.

He said the training is being conducted under the theme “Elevating Our Safety Culture from Reactive to Predictive,” emphasizing that modern aviation safety requires stakeholders to identify and address potential risks before they develop into incidents or accidents.

According to Dennis, the aviation industry can no longer depend primarily on learning from accidents after they occur. Instead, Safety Management Systems provide a data-driven framework for identifying hazards, assessing risks and establishing measures to prevent those risks from materializing.

SMS to Strengthen Decision-Making

The LCAA Director General stressed that Safety Management Systems should not be viewed merely as compliance paperwork or a requirement for passing audits.

He described SMS as a practical management and decision-making tool that allows aviation organizations to make informed safety decisions and gives personnel at different levels an opportunity to contribute to safety improvements.

Dennis outlined four key pillars of an effective Safety Management System: Safety Policy, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance and Safety Promotion.

Safety Policy establishes management’s commitment to safety and defines organizational safety objectives. Safety Risk Management focuses on identifying hazards, evaluating risks and establishing appropriate controls. Safety Assurance monitors whether safety measures are working through audits, data collection and Safety Performance Indicators, while Safety Promotion involves training, communication and sharing lessons learned.

LCAA Emphasizes Hazard Reporting

Dennis also placed strong emphasis on the need for accurate safety information, warning that an SMS cannot function effectively without reliable data from aviation personnel.

He encouraged workers across the sector to report hazards, near-misses, operational problems and mistakes so that corrective measures can be taken before they develop into serious incidents.

The Director General said the Authority is promoting a Just Culture, which distinguishes between honest human error and willful negligence.

Under the approach, aviation professionals are encouraged to report mistakes and hazards without fear of disciplinary action, with anonymous reporting also available. Dennis said the objective should not be to assign blame but to identify weaknesses and strengthen the overall system.

He urged aviation workers to adopt three basic safety practices: report hazards immediately, use established safety tools and procedures, and maintain open communication across departments.

He specifically encouraged personnel not to rely solely on memory, but to use flight risk assessment forms, standard operating procedures and other safety tools when carrying out their duties.

LCAA Targets Stronger State Safety Framework

LCAA Deputy Director General for Technical Services F. Augustine C. Tamba said the training comes at a time when safety management has become an increasingly important and standalone area of aviation oversight.

Tamba explained that safety management is no longer treated simply as part of another departmental function but is now assessed as a separate area, extending across aviation service providers.

He said service providers are required to maintain their own Safety Management Systems, while the Civil Aviation Authority has responsibility for developing the country’s State Safety Program.

Tamba said the LCAA has been working to meet that responsibility and believes that bringing aviation service providers into a common safety management framework will help Liberia strengthen its performance in aviation safety oversight.

He thanked the European Union for providing support and facilitators for the training and encouraged participants to make full use of the opportunity to improve their understanding and application of safety management principles.

Aviation Institutions Commit to Improved Safety

Representatives from key aviation institutions welcomed the training and expressed commitments to applying the knowledge gained to their respective operations.

A representative of the Roberts Flight Information Region (RFIR) thanked the LCAA and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority for their continued support in strengthening aviation capacity.

The representative linked the training to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s “No Country Left Behind” concept, stressing that aviation development requires countries to continuously strengthen their capabilities rather than allow gaps to persist.

The RFIR representative committed the institution to following established procedures, avoiding reliance on memory and maintaining open reporting channels for safety concerns.

Meanwhile, a representative of the Liberia Airport Authority’s Safety Department said safety remains at the center of aviation operations.

The representative said an effective SMS provides a structured way to identify hazards, manage risks, learn from occurrences and continuously improve safety performance.

Participants were encouraged to actively engage with facilitators, ask questions and share their experiences so that lessons from the training could be translated into practical improvements across Liberia’s aviation system.

International Experts Lead Training

The training is being facilitated by aviation safety specialists with extensive experience in civil aviation, airport operations, air navigation and Safety Management Systems.

One of the facilitators highlighted his professional experience as an air traffic controller, air navigation instructor, airport director, United Nations official and safety manager. He also described experience working with an engine designer at General Electric before returning to Côte d’Ivoire, where he currently serves in a flight safety leadership position within the civil aviation authority.

Another facilitator, Bilgesim Ben Moussa, said he specializes in aviation security, airport certification and Safety Management Systems. He cited experience implementing SMS in airports, including in Tunisia and Istanbul, as well as involvement in civil aviation projects in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Micronesia.

Moussa expressed optimism that the training would help Liberia make further progress toward implementing and strengthening Safety Management Systems within its civil aviation authority and across the sector.

Training Honors Late Captain Moses Weaver

The opening ceremony also paid tribute to the late Captain Moses Weaver, whom Director General Dennis described as one of the prominent figures whose contributions helped shape Liberia’s aviation sector.

Dennis said Weaver’s contributions deserved recognition and acknowledged that the training could have been dedicated to his memory.

Participants subsequently observed a moment of silence in Weaver’s honor, with Dennis extending condolences to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and the wider aviation community.

Building a Safer Aviation Future

The LCAA says the training forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Liberia’s aviation safety framework and improve the capacity of institutions responsible for aviation regulation, airport operations, air navigation and accident investigation.

For the Authority, the goal is not simply to meet regulatory or audit requirements, but to establish a safety culture in which hazards are identified early, risks are managed systematically and personnel feel empowered to report concerns.

Dennis urged participants to regard safety as a continuous responsibility rather than a destination that can be reached and forgotten.

He declared the training officially opened and called for an interactive 10-day program focused on sharpening participants’ skills, broadening their knowledge and strengthening Liberia’s overall aviation safety system.