Atlanta, Georgia-based Delta Airlines will this Saturday, September 4, 2010 start a direct international air service from the United States to Liberia’s Roberts International Airport.

This will be the first direct international commercial flight between the United States and Liberia in twenty years.

This is the second go around with the Delta flight arrangement to Liberia. In June 2009, the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) denied Delta Airlines direct flight to Monrovia, Liberia and to Nairobi, Kenya.

In a statement issued by the TSA, it said, “due to noted security vulnerabilities in and around Nairobi, and the failure to meet international security standards and appropriate recommended practices established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at the Roberts International Airport in Monrovia, TSA is currently denying air service by Delta to Nairobi and Monrovia until security standards are met or security threat assessments change.”

Recently Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf announced that the security issue had being resolved and the Delta direct flight to Monrovia would begin soon.

Meanwhile, the Executive Mansion has announced that President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf will on Sunday, September 5, cut the ribbon on the arrival of the first direct flight between the United States and Liberia.

Press Secretary Cyrus Badio told a news briefing in Monrovia that the President views the coming of Delta Airlines as another milestone in the progress of Liberia and her Government.

Badio said, it means that after a terrible conflict, the thread connecting Liberia with its oldest partner has been repaired. “Liberians have more freedom to travel to the U.S., and our friends have more freedom to come here”, he said, adding that the arrival of Delta will bring benefits to everyone, as people, goods and ideas can flow more freely.

Until this Delta Airlines direct flight from the United States to Liberia, travelers to and from Monrovia to the United States had to go through Europe or one of the neighboring African countries to connect to Liberia.

There are reports that Delta isis offering special introductory fares for travel between the United States and Monrovia, Liberia, via Accra, Ghana.

Patrick Manjoe
Running Africa/WRAR-96
Dallas, Texas