Margibi County, Liberia - The Liberia Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA) and South Korea's Make Holdings Corporation, Ltd. (Make Group) have opened discussions to establish a far-reaching partnership aimed at transforming Liberia's aviation sector through infrastructure upgrades, training, safety enhancement, and the possible rebirth of a national airline.
The meeting, held at the LCAA headquarters in Margibi County, brought together LCAA Director-General Julius D. Dennis, Jr., and James JuHee Han, Chairman and Proprietor of Make Group, along with senior officials from both sides.
The talks centered on strategic collaboration, public-private partnership (PPP) projects, and joint investments to modernize the James Spriggs Payne Airport, Roberts International Airport (RIA), and other regional airfields across the country.
Speaking during the engagement, Chairman Han expressed gratitude to Director-General Dennis and his team for the warm welcome, emphasizing that the Make Group's mission is to foster "collaboration and shared prosperity" with Liberia through aviation investment.
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"We have come for collaboration and prosperity together with the LCAA," Han said. "After months of research and communication with the LCAA, we understand that Liberia's domestic airports need major upgrades, particularly the James Spriggs Payne Airport in Monrovia and six other regional airfields. We are ready to help develop these facilities."
He disclosed that Make Group's plan begins with domestic air connectivity introducing three twin-propeller aircraft for local operations and two jet planes for international charter services dedicated to business executives, government delegations, and UN operations.
"We envision a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework with the LCAA to first re-establish a national airline and then build a long-term roadmap for aviation development," Han explained. "We also intend to expand into cargo operations, catering services, and logistics development at both RIA and Spriggs Payne."
The Korean investor said the company's blueprint includes the rehabilitation of warehouses, cargo terminals, and safety infrastructure. Once a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) is finalized, Make Group will immediately conduct feasibility studies on key airports to assess investment needs and determine expansion priorities.
Han also emphasized Make Group's ambition to expand operations regionally.
"We have strong relations with leaders in Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau," he noted. "We hope to engage these countries in charter operations, increasing regional connectivity and profitability. Liberia can rise again as an aviation hub in West Africa."
For his part, Director-General Julius D. Dennis, Jr. described the meeting as timely and crucial to President Joseph N. Boakai's vision of positioning Liberia as an attractive destination for investors through enhanced aviation safety and infrastructure.
"Aviation drives the economy of every nation," Dennis said. "In 2022, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) assessed Liberia with an effective implementation score of 27.5%, while the global minimum is 75%. That audit was a wake-up call. We are now working tirelessly to improve safety oversight and infrastructure, but financing remains a challenge."
He added that partnerships like the one proposed by Make Group are essential to achieving that goal.
"The airport is the face of our country. To attract investors, businesspeople, and tourists, we must provide safe, efficient, and modern airports," Dennis said. "Your interest in rehabilitating Spriggs Payne and other domestic airfields aligns perfectly with our national development priorities."
Director-General Dennis further noted that the LCAA's immediate goal is to address deficiencies highlighted in the ICAO audit while strengthening collaboration with other aviation stakeholders, including the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA), National Investment Commission (NIC), and the Ministry of Transport.
"We are excited about this engagement with Make Group," he continued. "Our focus is to ensure that Liberia's aviation system becomes professional, compliant with international standards, and capable of supporting long-term growth in tourism, trade, and investment."
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The LCAA chief also revealed that the proposed MoA will serve as a framework for cooperation, guiding future joint projects between the Liberian government and Make Group in aviation and related sectors.
The meeting concluded with both parties agreeing to establish a technical working committee to outline short-, medium-, and long-term priorities for collaboration, including domestic airport rehabilitation, the establishment of a maintenance training hub, and the potential re-launch of a Liberia National Airline.
If fully realized, the partnership is expected to significantly boost Liberia's air transport sector, create jobs, improve connectivity, and strengthen the country's standing within the regional and international aviation community.
"Liberia will soon turn around," Han concluded optimistically. "With determination, collaboration, and vision, we can help elevate this nation's aviation sector to the next level."
