The_Open_Door_deel1

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and private investors. The "Lone Star Transport Lines Inc." is a
joint venture corporation of the publicly owned Lone Star
Shipping Lines and the Firestone Plantations Company (39), The
"Providence Shipping Company" is a 50 - 50 joint venture between
the Liberian Government and the Swedish Granges Co. (40).
Air Transport
Liberia's history of civil aviation goes back only to the 194O's
when the "Liberian National Airways" (L.N.A.) was founded. The company
was jointly owned by the Liberian Government and private persons,
viz., two U.S. pilots, Captain Fred Syphert and Captain
Kenneth W. Wagner. The L.N.A. was entirely run by the two Americans
without any reference to the Liberian Government. Growing
dissatisfaction over the lack of training of Liberian pilots and
technicians and the continuous hiring of expensive expatriate
personnel made the Liberian Government decide to change the
management of the company.
Thus, in January 1965 the "Liberian National Airlines" was
established by an Act of the Legislature. The management of the
company was transferred to the French airline U.T.A. Under the
management contract it had with the Government it was to provide
training of Liberians to take over the management and operations
of the company.
The Liberian Government was the major shareholder of the
Liberian National Airlines (50$ of the capital stock), the other
50$ being available to foreigners (25$) and to Liberians (25$),
However, in December 1967 the management contract with U.T.A.
was terminated for reasons which have not been disclosed (41 )•
A little over two years later the Minister of Commerce, Industry
and Transportation reported that the Management and Operational
Sections of the L.N.A. had been Liberianized: the ex-patriate
personnel had been sent home (42).
In 1974, "Air Liberia" was formed by the merger of the L.N.A. and
"Ducor Air Transport" and became a wholly owned public
corporation. The management of the new company was again
entrusted to a foreign company, Hughes Airwest. However,
dissatisfaction with the services rendered soon led to a break
with this U.S. company (43),
Since March 1976 Air Liberia is managed by the British Caledonian
Airways under a four-year contract with the Liberian Government.
Air Liberia, a public corporation, provides domestic air
transport. By December 1977 there were reported to be some 75
usuable airfields and airstrips all over the country. Major
domestic airports included Greenville, Harper, Yekepa (built by
LAMCO), and Zwedru, the last two being the best equipped (44).
In 1978 Air Liberia made about 60 internal flights a week to a
dozen different airports and airstrips in the country. In the
same year its fleet comprised two 16 seater three-engined Norman
Trislanders, three 8 seater twin-engined Norman Islanders, two