Nigeria's Cross River state has allocated additional resources to purchase five aircraft for the state's virtual carrier Cally Air (Calabar), according to Nigeria's Africa Independent Television (AIT). Details on the aircraft type were not revealed.
"We are making a strategic investment in purchasing additional aircraft to enhance our aviation capabilities to address the current situation in our drive towards fostering better connectivity and promoting economic activities," Cross River governor Bassey Otu said in a statement after signing the state's 2024 supplementary budget into law on July 29, which he said prioritises key areas crucial to the state's growth.
Cally Air currently charters two B737-300s from Aero Contractors (N2, Lagos) according to the ch-aviation fleets module. Aero Contractors is also a joint venture partner in Cally Air.
According to the statement, the 2024 budget has been revised to NGN437 billion naira (USD269.7 million) after adding a supplementary budget of NGN141 billion (USD87 million) to the initial NGN296 billion (USD182.7 million) allocation. The exact allocation for Cally Air's fleet was not disclosed. Otu noted that the budget revision was in response to inflationary pressures and macro-economic conditions affecting the government's financial planning.
Other state sectors that will benefit from the increased budget include infrastructure, education, healthcare, security, and social spending.
