The Director-General of the Liberia Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA), Mr. Julius D. Dennis, led a high-level Liberian delegation to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Air Services Negotiation Event (ICAN2025), which took place from November 10 to 14, 2025, in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The annual ICAN event serves as a premier global platform for ICAO Member States to negotiate and update bilateral and multilateral air service agreements, crucial for expanding Liberia's international connectivity.
The Liberian delegation included the Director of Air Transport and Economic Relations, Ms. Audrey Zoe Johnson. Key Highlights and Diplomacy The LCAA successfully utilized the forum to advance Liberia's air transport agenda, focusing on strategic partnerships and capacity building: Reactivation of Spain BASA: A significant meeting was held with the Kingdom of Spain, focusing on the establishment of a framework agreement to reactivate the existing 1977 Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA). The discussion concluded with DG Dennis signing a Record of Discussions (ROD) with Madame Veronica Elvira, Deputy Director-General for Air Transport at Spain’s Ministry for Transport and Sustainable Mobility. Bilateral Engagement Success:
Director General Dennis held several successful bilateral discussions and signed Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with counterparts from various nations and authorities, including: 1. Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert, Director-General, Guyana Civil Aviation Authority 2. Mr. Kelvin Ma, Principal Assistant Secretary, Transport and Logistics Bureau, Government of Hong Kong 3. Mr. Garry Albert, Chief Executive Officer, Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority 4. Mr. Slim Hamed Al Husaini, Director of Air Transport, Sultanate of Oman Civil Aviation Authority 5. Mr. Tarik Talibi, Director-General, Kingdom of Morocco Civil Aviation Authority Liberia's Commitment to Aviation Safety Throughout the bilateral sessions, Director General Dennis reiterated the firm commitment of His Excellency President Joseph Boakai to elevating Liberia's aviation sector to the highest level.
The LCAA’s strategy focuses on a two-pronged approach: Addressing and resolving the two Significant Safety Concerns (SSCs) identified in the 2022 ICAO USOAP audit. Using this progress as a basis to build a sustainable and thriving aviation industry. Director General Dennis also specifically requested technical assistance and capacity building for LCAA inspectors and technical staff from international partners. Participation in Global and Regional Forums The Liberian delegation was a proactive participant in ICAN’s wider agenda: ICAO High-Level Roundtable:
The opening ceremony featured a High-Level Round Table Discussion on the theme “The Seventh Worldwide Air Transport Conference (ATConf/7) in perspective.” The conference is a premier global forum for advancing the regulatory and economic frameworks of international air transport. SAATM Promotion: The African Union Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) held a side event commemorating the 26th anniversary of the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) under the theme, "Expanding Inter-African Routes Delivering the Benefit of SAATM." As the Executing Agency of the YD and the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), AFCAC’s event promoted the acceleration of the SAATM across the continent.
