Cross River State Governor, Sir Ben Ayade, yesterday took delivery of yet another Boeing 737 aircraft at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos for the state’s commercial airline, Cally Air.
The arrival of the second aircraft is coming barely three weeks after the first one was received on April 6, 2021.
On ground to receive the second aircraft at Arik Air hanger in Lagos were the trio of the state Commissioner for Finance, Auquo Ekpeyong Jr., Director-General of of Due Process, Alphonsus Ogar, Director-General, Bureau of Public Private Partnership, Udiba Udiba.
The two Boeing 737 aircraft have a carrying capacity of 142 and 144 passenger respectively.
Ayade while announcing the floating of Cally Air, early this year, decried the prohibitive air transport cost in the country, particularly on the Lagos-Calabar and Calabar Abuja routes, querying why “a passenger would be made to pay over N70,000 to fly to Calabar. The route to Calabar either from Lagos or Abuja is the most expensive in Nigeria.” The governor explained that the outrageous charges was due to the non availablity of airlines coming into Calabar. So it is a responsibility of government to respond to the challenge of our people, recognising that they are being extorted due to monopoly. He said, he created the Ministry of Aviation to bring into reality the birth of Cally Airline. We are constructing an airport in Obudu to support the patronage of international tourists coming to Obudu cattle ranch. “we need to take advantage of the massive climatic condition suitable for the growth of ornamental plants for export in Obudu cattle ranch.”