According to Charles Alexis Boukinda, director of Airtel Money Gabon, the new service is in line with the company’s measures to enable its customers to have convenient ways to conduct their business
“We are fully aware that a lot of our customers have hectic schedules and they don’t have time to go to travel agencies to purchase their plane tickets. Running petty errands can be time consuming. The introduction of this new payment method highlights the commitment of Airtel to finding convenient solutions for all its customers,” he said.
Nicolas Soulie, director of Air France Gabon, stated that the use of mobile money for the payment of flight tickets is a first for the company.
Soulie said: “Air France customers now have a wider choice of payment methods. Consistently providing convenience for our clientele is something we strive to achieve on a daily basis.”
Airtel, which has operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, has been using the Airtel Money platform in many countries where customers use the service to pay utility bills and person to person transfers.
The company said that customers willing to pay tickets through the service ought to still make reservations through the internet or a travel agency, after which they can pay for the ticket through Airtel Money.
Customers will receive an SMS confirmation and the plane ticket will be sent to their email address.
Boukinda added that there are no fears in using the system, saying financial institutions in Africa have been using the service.
“Airtel Money is a safe and secure service that is password-protected through state-of-the-art security system. Many banks and other institutions use this method of payment in the 17 African countries where we operate in. It is a safe and effective way to conduct financial transactions,” he said.