Flights were briefly suspended at Liberia’s main airport Thursday night after a private jet carrying President Joseph Boakai suffered a malfunction while landing, triggering a security scare and disrupting airport operations.
The incident occurred at Roberts International Airport (RIA) as the presidential aircraft, returning from Nigeria, experienced a landing gear failure. According to airport officials, one of the jet’s tyres burst during landing, causing the aircraft to stall on the runway.
Photos of the immobilized jet quickly spread across social media platforms, sparking public concern over the president’s safety. Fortunately, President Boakai and his entourage were safely evacuated from the jet without injuries.
In a statement released hours later, the Liberia Airport Authority (LAA) confirmed the “unfortunate near-accident situation,” but reassured the public that runway infrastructure remains “fully compliant with international aviation safety standards.”
The authority strongly denied speculation that poor runway conditions were to blame for the emergency landing.
“An investigation to determine the actual cause of the incident is ongoing, and the airport authority will keep the public informed,” LAA said.
All scheduled flights for the night were canceled following the incident but resumed once the aircraft was cleared from the runway.
The presidency has not issued an official statement, although images of President Boakai arriving at RIA and speaking briefly to journalists—without addressing the scare—were shared on social media.
President Boakai had traveled to Nigeria to attend the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), a key regional bloc promoting political and economic cooperation across West Africa.
