MONROVIA, Montserrado – The Liberia Domestic Airports Agency has announced new measures to improve safety and security at the James Sprigs Payne Airport.

LDAA Public Relations Officer Francis Kpaka said the agency will increase security and arrest anyone who violates safety and security operational standards at the airport.

Kpaka told The Bush Chicken in an interview that some individuals in the public, especially in communities near the airport, are bent on illegally using the runway of the airport for passage despite several warnings.

Francis F. Kpaka, Public Relations Officer, LDAA, photo by: Gbatemah Senah

He said some individuals are also in the habit of using the airport’s facility for garbage disposal while others are illegally mining sand.

Kpaka said these practices are threats to the safety and security of flights and airport users.

“Mining will undermine the runways while garbage will invite the presence of birds that may cause crash to a flight by just a single bird entering the engine,” he said.

He also warned individuals using the runways for shortcuts. “It is a serious risk for individuals to use the runways for passage,” he said. “The runway is a sensitive area that must not be accessed illegally.”

Kpaka disclosed that the LDAA and the airport’s management have had series of meetings with the communities for them to put stop to the illegal behavior, but added that the efforts have not yielded any fruit.

“We have issued several public notices and held meetings with communities just to put an end to these ugly acts, but all have seemed to be on deaf ears,” he noted.

The airport has now begun the construction of a concrete fence around its facilities to prevent trespasses.

Featured Photo courtesy of Flickr