Accra, April 6, GNA - A successful operation of any airline requires a strong sense of accountability and great expertise, an airline manager said in Accra on Sunday.

Mr Benjamin Asare Buotu, Director of Afrijet Airline, said anything short of these vital ingredients of airline operations, no matter how negligible it might seem, could adversely affect its smooth and successful operation.

Speaking to journalists in Accra at a get-together for staff of Afrijet, Mr Buotu said the airline, the latest to fly the Accra-Lagos route, held great prospects for passengers. He said although there were a number of flights which already plied the route, Afrijet had come in with a package which was sure to attract a large number of passengers.

Mr Buotu said the airline's operations were characterised by such good practices as punctuality, low fares and excellent customer services coupled with top class maintenance facilities and highly experienced pilots.

Speaking on the airline industry in Africa, Mr Buotu observed that the folding up of some national airlines had been due to lack of accountability and dedication, inefficiency and the absence of the right kind of expertise.

He observed that private airlines often performed much better than national ones because the owners of such airlines made sure that money they had invested did not go down the drain, but yielded the expected returns.

The airline operates an MD83 aircraft with 16 first class and 146 economy seats, with each seat fitted with an individual video screen. It departs Accra everyday apart from Saturdays.