LCAA Launches Safety Management Training, Pushes Shift from Reactive to Predictive Aviation Safety

MONROVIA, LIBERIA — The Liberia Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA) has launched a major Safety Management Systems (SMS) training program aimed at strengthening aviation safety across Liberia and moving the country’s aviation sector from a largely reactive approach to a more proactive and predictive safety culture.

The 10-day training, being held at the Farmington Hotel, brings together key institutions and stakeholders within Liberia’s aviation industry, including the Liberia Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA), Liberia Airport Authority (LAA), Roberts Flight Information Region (RFIR), the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and other aviation service providers.

The training is being supported by the European Union (EU) as part of efforts to enhance safe, efficient and effective aviation operations in Liberia.

Opening the program, LCAA Director General Julius D. Dennis, Jr. said the training represents an important opportunity for stakeholders across the aviation sector to establish a common understanding of safety and strengthen the systems designed to protect passengers, aviation personnel and aircraft.

According to Dennis, the central theme of the training is “Elevating Our Safety Culture From Reactive to Predictive.” He stressed that modern aviation can no longer afford to wait for accidents or serious incidents before identifying and addressing safety weaknesses.

“Safety is not the absence of events; it is the presence of defenses,” Dennis said, emphasizing the need for aviation stakeholders to identify hazards and address risks before they develop into incidents or accidents.

He explained that Safety Management Systems provide an organization-wide, data-driven framework for identifying hazards, assessing risks and implementing measures to prevent those risks from causing harm.

Dennis said the SMS approach represents a fundamental shift in aviation safety—from learning primarily from accidents after they occur to using information and data to anticipate potential threats before they materialize.

SMS More Than Compliance Paperwork

The LCAA Director General also sought to dispel what he described as a misconception that Safety Management Systems are simply compliance requirements or additional paperwork.

He said SMS should instead be viewed as a practical decision-making tool that enables management and employees at every level to make safer operational decisions.

Dennis identified four fundamental pillars of an effective SMS: Safety Policy, Safety Risk Management, Safety Assurance and Safety Promotion.

Safety Policy establishes management’s formal commitment to safety and defines organizational safety objectives. Safety Risk Management focuses on identifying hazards, assessing associated risks and establishing controls. Safety Assurance involves monitoring safety performance through audits, data and Safety Performance Indicators, while Safety Promotion focuses on training, communication, knowledge-sharing and the development of a transparent safety culture.

He said the success of the system, however, depends heavily on the quality of information provided by personnel working throughout the aviation system.

LCAA Emphasizes “Just Culture”

Dennis placed particular emphasis on the importance of Just Culture and effective hazard reporting, arguing that even the most sophisticated safety systems will be ineffective without accurate operational information.

He said pilots, engineers, mechanics, air traffic personnel, ramp workers and other aviation professionals must feel comfortable reporting hazards, near-misses and mistakes so that the organization can identify weaknesses before they result in serious consequences.

Under the Just Culture approach, Dennis said, a distinction must be maintained between honest human error and willful negligence.

He encouraged personnel to report operational hazards without fear of punishment, including through anonymous reporting mechanisms where necessary. The objective, he said, should not be to find someone to blame but to identify and correct weaknesses within the system.

Three Safety Commitments

As the training progresses, Dennis urged participants to carry three basic safety commitments back into their daily responsibilities.

The first is to “see something, say something,” meaning personnel should immediately report unsafe procedures, malfunctioning equipment or other hazards rather than assuming someone else will address them.

The second is to use the safety tools provided, including flight risk assessment forms and standard operating procedures instead of relying solely on memory.

The third is to communicate openly across departments, allowing pilots, engineers, air traffic personnel, airport operators and other professionals to share safety concerns and lessons learned.

Dennis declared the training officially opened and urged participants to make the 10-day program highly interactive, using the opportunity to strengthen their knowledge and practical understanding of SMS.

EU Support Welcomed

LCAA Deputy Director General for Technical Services, F. Augustine C. Tamba, welcomed participants on behalf of the Authority and expressed appreciation to the European Union for supporting the training.

Tamba stressed that safety management has evolved into a standalone area of aviation oversight and is no longer simply treated as a component of another departmental function.

He explained that while aviation service providers are expected to establish their own Safety Management Systems, the Civil Aviation Authority has a broader responsibility to develop and maintain a State Safety Program.

According to Tamba, the LCAA has been working to meet that responsibility and believes that strengthening SMS among individual service providers will help ensure that Liberia has an effective safety management framework across the entire aviation system.

Aviation Stakeholders Commit to Stronger Safety Culture

Representatives of other aviation institutions also welcomed the training and committed themselves to strengthening safety practices.

A representative of the Roberts Flight Information Region thanked the LCAA and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority for their support in building aviation capacity. The representative said continued training is essential to ensuring that countries are not left behind in the global aviation system, echoing the International Civil Aviation Organization’s “No Country Left Behind” concept.

The RFIR representative committed the institution to following established procedures, avoiding reliance on memory and maintaining open safety reporting channels.

The Liberia Airport Authority’s safety department similarly emphasized that safety remains central to aviation operations and said effective SMS provides a structured mechanism for identifying hazards, managing risks, learning from occurrences and continuously improving safety performance.

The LAA encouraged participants to actively engage with the facilitators, ask questions and share practical experiences that could translate into improvements across Liberia’s aviation system.

Training Also Honors Late Captain Moses Weaver

The opening ceremony also featured a tribute to the late Captain Moses Weaver, whom Director General Dennis described as one of the towering figures who contributed significantly to the development of Liberia’s aviation sector.

Dennis said Weaver’s contribution should be recognized and acknowledged, adding that, in retrospect, the training could have been formally dedicated to his memory.

He subsequently asked participants to observe a moment of silence in honor of Weaver and extended condolences to the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and the wider aviation community.

International Facilitators Bring Global Experience

The training is also drawing on the experience of international aviation safety specialists with backgrounds spanning civil aviation authorities, airports, air navigation services, international organizations and the private sector.

One facilitator, an aviation safety specialist from Côte d’Ivoire, outlined extensive professional experience that includes work as an air traffic controller, air navigation instructor, airport director, United Nations official and safety manager. He also said he had worked with an engine designer at General Electric before returning to Côte d’Ivoire, where he currently serves in a flight safety leadership role within the civil aviation authority.

He said the training would be an intensive period of experience-sharing, with facilitators also prepared to learn from Liberia’s aviation professionals.

Another facilitator, Bilgesim Ben Moussa, said he specializes in aviation security, airport certification and Safety Management Systems. He cited experience implementing SMS at airports in Tunisia and Istanbul and working on civil aviation projects in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Micronesia.

He expressed optimism that the training would contribute to progress toward full SMS implementation within Liberia’s civil aviation system.

Toward a Safer Aviation Future

The LCAA says the training is part of broader efforts to strengthen Liberia’s aviation safety framework and improve compliance with international safety requirements.

With representatives from regulators, airport operators, air navigation services and accident investigation authorities participating, the program seeks to create a more integrated approach to identifying and managing aviation risks.

For Dennis, the ultimate objective goes beyond completing a training course or meeting an audit requirement. He urged aviation professionals to treat safety as a continuous process requiring constant attention, open communication and collective responsibility.

The message emerging from the training is clear: Liberia’s aviation sector must increasingly anticipate risks rather than wait for accidents to reveal them.

As the 10-day program continues, participants are expected to deepen their understanding of Safety Management Systems, share experiences and develop practical approaches that can strengthen safety defenses across Liberia’s aviation sector.