28.06.2023 - 12:25 UTC
Nigeria's Cross River state government has cancelled its contract with Aero Contractors (N2, Lagos) and Harrier Global Services Limited t/a Harrier Airlines (Lagos) for the operation of its dormant virtual carrier, Cally Air (Calabar), amid a dispute regarding the attachment of a B737-300 over NGN900 million naira (USD1.9 million) in outstanding service fees.
As reported, B737-300 5N-BYQ (msn 30334) is owned by Cally Air but is stored by Aero Contractors at Lagos, which insists on the Cross River state government repaying the above outstanding sum for operations and maintenance services over the last two years.
Now, the Cross River state government has cancelled a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the operation of Cally Air with Aero Contractors and Harrier Global Services Limited reports Daily Trust newspaper.
Instead, it has appointed Meler's Global Resources Limited as the lease manager for the Cally Air aircraft. Contrary to Nigerian news reports, the company's status is listed as "active" in the Nigerian Corporate Affairs Commission database under registration number...
31.05.2023 - 14:14 UTC
A political tussle exists in Nigeria over a B737-300 of dormant Cally Air (Calabar), the Cross River state government-owned virtual carrier suspended by its operator Aero Contractors (N2, Lagos) in July 2022, over NGN900 million naira (USD1.9 million) in outstanding service fees.
According to This Day newspaper, in 2021, the Cross River state government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AeroContractors as the operator and IRS Airlines (Abuja) as the asset manager of two aircraft: B737-300 5N-BYQ (msn 30334) and Dash 8-200 5N-GRS (msn 547). Cally Air was created to service Calabar from Lagos, Kano, and Abuja.
Recently, outgoing Cross River state governor Ben Ayade planned to cede 5N-BYQ to IRS Airlines in a somewhat blurred agreement opposed by his successor Bassey Ottu and Aero Contractors, reports This Day. Ayade, earlier this year, had listed some of the state's assets - including Cally Air - to be ceded to private firms.
About two weeks ago, Cross River state government representatives led by...
Editorial Comment: Corrected ownership of 5N-BYQ. - 08.06.2023 - 12:58 UTC
31.08.2021 - 15:24 UTC
Virtual startup Cally Air (Calabar) is at risk of being grounded barely a month after it started operating with its shareholder, the Cross River State government, saying it has been unable to withdraw the cash needed to pay for the insurance and maintenance of its aircraft, local media report.
The airline, operated by Aero Contractors (N2, Lagos) on behalf of the Cross River state, only began operations on July 15 on routes between Lagos, Kano, and Abuja with two B737-300s.
However, State Commissioner for Aviation Jake Otu-Enyia has told local reporters his administration has been unable to draw funds deposited in an unnamed commercial bank in order to pay for the insurance and maintenance of the aircraft. “Cally Air is at the risk of being shut down because we are unable to get money from the bank to renew our insurance and do maintenance of our aircraft as its standard practice and instructions from the NCAA (Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority),” he said.
Neither operator, Aero Contractors, nor...
22.07.2021 - 16:50 UTC
Nigerian start-up Cally Air (Calabar) has launched commercial operations between Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Calabar with a B737-300, 5N-BYQ (msn 30334).
The maiden flight took place on July 15 from Lagos to Abuja, Flightradar24 ADS-B data reveals.
According to Nigerian news media, the aircraft was welcomed on touchdown by Ben Ayade, the governor of the Nigerian state of Cross River, who boarded the aircraft for inspection and lauded the event as the realisation of a dream that had started in 2016. He expressed confidence that Cally Air would contribute to growing tourism to Cross River State, located along Nigeria’s border with Cameroon and the Atlantic Ocean coastline.
This was also true of the state’s new Obudu International Airport, he said, currently under construction and due for completion in December 2021. The airport's construction has been controversial because it has been met with resistance from the Okambi community, which owns the land where it is being built.
Based at Calabar, Cally Air is a virtual carrier operated by Aero...
