Liberia poised to be a cargo hub again with GLS contract

After enduring decades of conflicts and a devastating outbreak of the Ebola virus in 2014, the West African nation of Liberia has taken a major step toward rejoining the world’s global supply chain by securing Global Logistics Services Inc. (GLS) with a 25-year air cargo operations concession at the country’s only international airport: Roberts International (RIA).

GLS was chosen for the concession out of three international consortia by the National Investment Commission (NIC) and the Liberia Airports Authority (LAA), and is the first ever granted to a Liberia-based company. Previously, the cargo section of the airport had been managed by the Liberia Airports Authority, a state-owned entity that managed all RIA operations.

The concession will include the design build and operations of a modern 2,700-square-meter air cargo facility at RIA. Other equipment improvements will be made to current operating systems and capacity, which will be expanded to 7,200 tonnes per year. Once completed in January 2018, the facility will also be equipped to handle special cargo, such as perishables, pharmaceuticals, minerals, vulnerable goods, dangerous goods and hazardous materials. The Facility will also have a dedicated freighter parking to support time efficient operations.

According to a statement for GLS, the facility will take on significant volumes from multinational companies’ operations in mining, oil and gas exploration, agriculture, telecommunications, heavy equipment operations and construction. “Air cargo is usually the point of entry for frozen foods and pharmaceuticals,” the company said. “We have gold and some fresh food exports. Then there’s DHL and other integrators.”

The concept for the $11 million facility came about after a definitive feasibility study was commissioned by the International Finance Corporation, with technical partners Aviotec International, in association with CPCS Transcom and DKMA.

While the news of the facility has not yet attracted more carriers to RIA, GLS said the nation is slowly recovering from its hardships that have affected trade. “What’s noteworthy is the simultaneous award of contracts for the development of a new passenger terminal, and runway rehabilitation. Pre-Ebola, the country had 11 commercial carriers and three cargo flights. Now, it’s five commercial flights and one freight – DHL. We expect a return once the improvements are realized.”

The concession is warmly welcomed by the West African nation which suffered decades of civil crises that left the country’s infrastructure in a dilapidated state. The project will improve trade barriers by setting in place infrastructure required to enhance air cargo supply chain operations, and improving Liberia’s potential as a hub in the Mano River subregion.