Officials of the two airlines displaying the MoU documents after signing the deal
Liberia’s government and Ghanaian carrier Goldstar Air (GSA) have signed a strategic partnership to revive the national airline of that country.
The new national carrier of Liberia, Lone Star Air (Wings Of Liberia), will initially be flying to 11 West African destinations from Monrovia, namely Accra, Abuja, Lagos, Abidjan, Freetown, Banjul, Conakry, Dakar, Ouagadougou, Bissau and Sao Tome.
The President of Liberia, George Manneh Oppong Weah, said he was keen on creating more jobs for the citizens of Liberia by reviving the national carrier, which ceased operating in 1990.
He said he was also bent on developing Liberia’s aviation industry to drive socio-economic transformation and attract more visitors to Liberia.
President Oppong Weah stated that Lone Star would employ low-cost packages and tour operation as has been used by airlines in North America and Europe.
Before the signing the agreement, Samuel Wlue, Liberian Transport Minister, and Goldstar Air Executive Chairman Eric Alfred Bannerman said the airline would provide the aviation community in Liberia with an opportunity to share and disseminate vital industry information to strengthen and improve the aviation sector.
He also linked it to national development, saying it would create jobs for the youth, some of whom could become pilots, ground service crew, service person in maintenance, cabin crew, counter agents, travel agents, tour operators, country managers, stations managers, accountants, flight dispatch, drivers, marketing personnel, air marshals, cargo agents, catering services, hoteliers, fuel suppliers and others.
Mr. Oppong Weah’s aviation ambition is to upgrade the Monrovia Airport by building a maintenance base (MRO) which will ensure safety and airworthiness of all aircraft by international standards and also a cargo village which will maintain a cost effective inbound and outbound flow of cargo and third party logistic service provider (e-station cargo).
Goldstar Air Management Services has indicated it would ensure a short turn-around time as part of the joint venture for a win-win situation.
A business desk report