Accra - Travelers on Ghana Airways flights have commended the safety policies of the airline but asked the company to continue to improve on its punctuality. These views were the consensus of travelers who had been on Ghana Airways flights since May 1, when GH751 and GH771 were both delayed for 24 hours for safety reasons.

Elaborating on safety checks carried out to ensure smooth flights, an airline official said Ghana Airways has an enviable record and is not taking any chances with issues pertaining to safety. "We have a total safety culture. Indeed the Chief Executive and other senior management staff have since enjoyed smooth flights on the same aircraft to London and back," he added.

Some regular travelers have described the Chief Executive's traveling on the same aircraft as reassuring. "If the Chief Executive flies comfortably on this same plane and the crew have confidence in the performance of the aircraft, then we are secured," they said.

GH751 had to be aborted after take-off when some birds were sucked into the aircraft's engines. GH771's departure was delayed due to the malfunctioning of an air speed indicator.

It would be recalled that on January 1, 2000, the Chief Executive of Ghana Airways, Mr. E.L. Quartey, Jr., together with a senior management team of the airline and media personnel went on a Y2K safety assurance flight. That flight is on record as being the first out of Ghana this millennium.