Accra, March 5, GNA - Aero Contractors, a leading Nigerian airline, has increased its flight frequency on the Lagos to Accra route to two daily flights with their new Boeing 737-500 aircraft, a move the airline says would boost the tourism sector of Ghana. "In the last five years, Accra has become a major tourist and business destination in Africa. And this decision was taken in the interest and comfort of the airline's teeming customers to give them more choices and flexibility in planning their trips," said Mr Mark Snoxell, Business Development Manager of the airline, in Accra on Thursday.

"We are looking to increase our passenger base from the current 600 to 1,200 weekly and make it easier and cheaper for people to take to the skies," he said. Snoxell said an advantage of the move was that booking and payments in Nigeria for tickets could be done online for best fares, while tickets could still be purchased through sales shops across Ghana and registered travel agents.

Customers from both countries taking advantage of the two daily flights between Lagos and Accra, he said, would soon be able to pay for their tickets using their Visa card, a feature that has already been implemented in Nigeria. From Accra, the fist flight departs at 0810 hours except on Sunday and the second flight departs at 1810 hours except Wednesdays when it depart at 1825 hours.

Snoxell said the airline was poised to provide the most competitive fare in the market, as well as offer packaged tours to Accra for leisure travellers. Aero Contractors began flight operations into Accra in December 2004. The airline operates an international route network including destinations such as Malabo, Lome, Cotonou, Sao Tome, Bamako, Casablanca, Luanda and Libreville. 5 March 09