Delta Airlines to suspend flights in Liberia

Delta Airlines has recently announced to suspend flights between Monrovia and New York. The service on this route will operate until August 31, 2014.

The airline is pulling flights from Liberia due to deficit of travelers on this route. The carrier started direct flights between Monrovia and New York via Accra in Ghana since 2010. The airline has conveyed to the government of Liberia that the last eastbound flight from New York to Monrovia will be on August 30, 2014, while the last westbound will be on August 31, 2014.

High-level consultations are undertaken between the officials of Liberian government and the chiefs of Delta Airlines regarding the suspension issues. The consultation was intended to find means that will not disrupt the services offered by the airline. Delta has thanked the government for their continuous support and has assured to explore economically feasible ways to lift suspension and to resume direct flights between the United States and Liberia.

The suspension of Delta Airlines in Liberia was decided when it was found that the passenger flying from Liberia were far less than the passengers flying from Ghana and Nigeria. The highest passenger level was recorded in 2013, with 205,000 passengers traveling to and from Liberia. This figure was quite low as compared with more than 2 million and 10 million passengers every year in Ghana and Nigeria respectively.

Apart from the suspension of flights from Liberia, the airline also decided to reduce flights to Venezuela. This was due to the outstanding debt that needs to be recovered from the Venezuelan government. From August, the airline will pull out 85 percent of its present flights to the country.