America.gov (Washington, DC)
Charles W. Corey
27 October 2008
Travel between the United States and Liberia will be much faster and easier thanks to a new direct flight that soon will be operated between both countries by the U.S. air carrier Delta Air Lines.
The airline and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf announced the direct flight during her recent trip to the United States, which included talks with President Bush at the White House.
In an announcement at the National Press Club in Washington October 22, the Liberian president praised Delta's investment in her country.
"I was excited to learn that Delta Air Lines has made the commitment to provide direct flight service to Liberia," Sirleaf told reporters. "Liberia continues to flourish and, with the commitment by companies in the U.S. to do business in our country, there is opportunity for continued economic growth. This development also provides convenience for Liberians in the diaspora to come home and to bring their skills and talents in support of the country's development. Delta Air Lines is providing a means to bring business into the country and we welcome them."
Delta Air Lines said it will expand its service to the African continent with the introduction of the first flight between Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Monrovia's Roberts International Airport, Liberia.
The service, which will make a stop at Amilcar Cabral International Airport on Sal Island, Cape Verde, is expected to start in June 2009.
Passengers on the only flight between the United States and Liberia will benefit from significant time savings over other routes. They also will be able to connect to more than 150 destinations in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean via Delta's Atlanta hub.
"Delta is pleased to add Monrovia to our industry-leading Africa network," said Glen Hauenstein, executive vice president for network and revenue management.
"Passenger traffic to and from Africa continues to grow at some of the highest rates in the world. We are very encouraged with the response to our flights to Africa and look forward to serving Liberia and contributing to its trade and tourism development efforts," he said.
Robert L. Johnson, founder and chairman of The RLJ Companies, which owns significant development projects in Liberia, also commented on the importance of the new flight.
"Two years ago ... I made a commitment to mobilize $30 million for Liberia after hearing President Johnson Sirleaf speak and appeal to the American private sector for support," Johnson said.
"I have further committed to mobilizing funds through a recent $100 million finance protocol with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation to build housing, as well as to build an 84-room, villa-style hotel.
"I applaud Delta Air Lines for making the commitment to provide direct air service to Liberia which will provide economic growth opportunities to Liberia from a variety of business sectors around the world," he added.
Currently, Delta offers service between the United States and six African destinations with flights between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport and Accra, Ghana; Dakar, Senegal; Cairo, Egypt; and Cape Town, South Africa (via Dakar), and between Atlanta and Lagos, Nigeria, and Johannesburg, South Africa (via Dakar).
At a recent U.S.-Africa infrastructure conference in Washington, U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary and retired Vice Admiral Thomas J. Barrett saluted African governments for realizing the important role that transportation plays in developing economies and building nations.
"If you look back in the history of the United States, back to our founding, you will see things like the development of canals, transcontinental railways and interstate highway systems -- networks, if you will -- to connect the country. We think that encouraging that type of progress is essential and a necessary precursor to growth," he said. Aviation links are important parts of such a network as well, Barrett added.
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