Ukorebi Esien | 21st July, 2020
In 2016, the governor of Cross River state, Sen. Prof. Ben Ayade speaking with newsmen, as reported on the 11th of September 2016 by Ulayi Emmanuel one of the numerous media aides to the governor, informed Cross Riverians of the state government's readiness to launch the state's own airline named "Cally Air".
In that report, Ayade said his administration was in a haste to ensure Cally Air, the State's Airline company will becomes operational due to it's numerous economic advantage to the state.
"We are in a haste to get Cally Air started, so Calabar will have its own airline in partnership with Dana as its technical operator and we have also reached a point where we will be signing up on that deal."
"I am sure that in the next 2-3 months, you will all see Dana Air flying to Calabar. We have our own state aircraft, which Dana has agreed to do a detailed, guarded, technical study of the aircraft, which is in Aero Contractors in Lagos, as soon as that is done, he will finalize to get the aircraft on the air, once that is done, it is going to be written completely as "Cally Air", so it is Calabar Airlines, so it will be flying Calabar, Obudu, Lagos and of course Abuja." The statement reads.
Not too far from then, the governor created an office to oversee this initiative with Mr. Currently
It's now 3 years 10 months and 10 days since that report was published and Cross Riverians are yet to see Cally Air either take off or land on the tarmac of the Margaret Ekpo International Airport.
Yesterday, 20th July 2020 Akwa Ibom State who launched their Airline Company last year added another feather to their cap by flagging off the launch of the flight in Calabar, the event which was well attended by personalities like former Governor of Cross River State, Mr. Donald Duke, Former Deputy Speaker of Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Orok Duke, current National Assembly Member, Daniel Asuquo, and many others.
Speaking to newsmen the Special Adviser to the Governor of Cross River State, Hon. Solomon Aboh disclosed that Cally Air will begin operation before 2020 Carnival, which is to say before December 2020.
When asked how they hope to compete in the market, he said they have already developed a strategy for that.
But what he didn't say is the possibility of that because there are so many promises this particular government is yet to fulfill.
Let's have your view on this story, do you see the possibility of Cally Air flying by December 2020?
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