A Case for CallyAir

COLUMN/FEATURE By Joseph Ushigiale

After rounds of speculation and delays, it was heartwarming to see the much-awaited CallyAir, an airline floated by Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State take to the air in its maiden flight from Lagos landing at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport in Abuja on July 15.

The idea of CallyAir which Ayade said was conceived in 2017 took almost five years to crystalize. It was bogged down by the paucity of funds, regulatory bureaucracy, and several other unforeseen factors that finally reared their heads along the way.

In the face of dwindling revenue, why float an airline was the question on the lips of concerned Cross Riverians? Most of them believed that the governor was biting much more than he could chew and that his inability to make headway with his signature projects like the super highway and Bakassi Deep seaport meant that the idea of floating an airline was dead on arrival.

Ayade surprised his army of pessimists and cynics when the aircraft made its grand maiden flight into Abuja from Lagos. On hand to receive it, an elated Ayade pointed out that “It was a dream we had in 2017 occasioned by the high influx of traffic into Calabar and the monopoly of some airlines dominating the Calabar route.”

Apart from filling an economic vacuum, the building of airports and floating of airlines in Nigeria today have become somewhat a show of state nationalism. Almost every state today, out of the sheer pursuit for survival is either building an airport, floating an airline, or both. Cross River is engaged in both and has succeeded in inaugurating its airline. The last huddle before Ayade now is to complete the Obudu international airport which he promised to deliver in December on schedule.

To be sure, Ayade is not the first governor to venture into the aviation sector. During the Donald Duke administration, where the state policy was to drive tourism and make Cross River state a destination, Duke, short of floating an airline, partnered with Aerocontractors to position an aircraft to the state with a dedicated route to Obudu Cattle Ranch thrice a week.

Liyel Imoke, who succeeded Duke, moved it a notch further by buying a turboprop aircraft from the Rivers state government and handing the same to aerocontrators to operate. In terms of continuity, Ayade built on the foundations of his predecessors to float CallyAir.

Even with Ayade’s feat of bringing his idea to reality, critics have continued to assail and accuse him of running an exclusive and opaque government lacking in transpafrency and not being guided by corporate governance.

At issues are the way and manner the procurement process was handled; controveersy over the airline ownership structure, operational model, terms of agreement with Aero, status of the Airline Operator Certificate (AOC), source of funding, are they aircraft on lease or outright purchase, what is cost of aircraft?

In the entire process, either out of distrust for his subordinates or stakeholders, or for pecuniary gains, the governor reportedly handled every aspect that led to the crystalization of the airline without involving other stakeholders. This approach has undoubtedly pitched the stakeholders against the governor with avoidable allegations flying all over the place.

From my personal observation and study of the governor, his style is very exclusive and carries the toga of “I know it all”. He hardly consults, his style is not participatory and dictatorial. On an occassion, I remember making a suggestion about something to the governor only to get a brutal retort from him challenging me as to “why do you think I didn’t think about it before”?

Even with his nuances, I must admit that Ayade is a man in a hurry to leave a legacy after exiting office. Regrettably, his hunger for achivements has blindsided him into taking on too many projects far more bigger than his meager rersources could deliver. To accuse Ayade of lacking the initiative to act would be a great disservice to him. In truth, he has overreacted and exposed his lack of capacity to prioritise.

Let us take CallyAir as a case study. From inception to this moment, many believed the project was moribund and Ayade was blowing hot air since talk is his hobby. Cynics were not wrong in distrusting him too because Ayade started hyping the establishment of CallyAir long before Rochas Okorocha former governor of Imo and Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom did. Yet, Imo went ahead to partner and launch ImoAir with DanaAir while Udom successfully launched rave making IbomAir.

While many gave up on him, Ayade believed in himself and doggedly forged ahead with his dream to bring it to fruition. A triumphant Ayade was to say at the maiden flight of the airline that “Let the people know today that anything your mind conceives can be achieved. Cally Air will also be flying Obudu and Obudu cattle ranch will have its huge traffic.”

It is to his credit that he has put all his critics and naysayers to shame by delivering a brand new airline that is being saluted by industry experts as one of the best in the country today. For instance,the CallyAir Boeing 737-300 comes with a special GPS system, the best-in-class and of its kind in use including possessing a state-of-the-art communication system. It is the most successful aircraft type in Boeing history and is renowned for having the highest safety record.

Addressing stakeholders in Abuja during the airline’s maiden flight, Ayade assured that “This is the beginning of Cross River state’s emancipation and complete decoupling from dependence on the federal government. My strong conviction is that Cally Air is the beginning of the privatization process of actually creating a private sector that never existed before. It is also the beginning of creating an alternative economy that never existed in Cross River state”.

With dwindling state resources, Ayade’s latest move should be interpreted as a strong message that sub-nationals could actually become fully independent. There is no doubt that the Airline if well managed could increase passenger traffic to Cross River state and the Obudu international airport billed for completion this December.

So far, the incursion of CallyAir in the Nigeria’s aviation industry would increase the industry standards for other aviators to follow and also ensure safety and punctuality in at a time flights into Calabar were epileptic and unreliable..

According to Ayade, “Even if I, as the governor, is late for boarding by one minute, the planes have to shut their doors and leave me on the ground. It is a commitment that I give that no one single Cross Riverian will have the right to keep this aircraft on the ground for one second. Leave as soon as its due. What I want is Cally on the dot”.

In terms of quality and safety of CallyAir which the governor described in the following words: “CallyAir has a unique appeal. Its sheer size, aircraft brand, quality of flight, and timelines make the airline unique,” industry experts who spoke with this reporter opined that passengers patronising the airline have nothing to be afraid of assuring that the quality of aircraft procured by Ayade is far better than what currently obtains in the country today.

“You have nothing to worry about in terms of safety of the planes and all that. With my experience in aviation spanning over 35 years, the planes procured by your governor are the best in class. I stand to be quoted that these planes are the best in Nigeria today even more sound than the ones owned by Aerocontractors managing the planes.

Again, he took the right decision to sign up with Aero. Aero has an unmatched industry track record in safety and maintenance,” an engineer who spoke on condition of anonymity volunteered.

The first noticable gains from the governor’s initiative as he repositions to unlock the state’s economic potential is that the introduction of CallyAir immediately triggered ticket pricing war. The Calabar route which was described as unviable has become competitive as other airlines have been forced to drastically reduce their fares in response to Cally Air tickets which can be purchased as low as seventeen thousand naira only.

Apart from the CallyAir project, Ayade has recorded some remarkable milestones in the provision of infrastructure. Earlier this year, I had the privilege of traveling to my village in Bendi and could not believe that the road from Abuochichie to Obudu has been dualized. His accomplishments in the establishment of several cottage industries and in agriculture especially in rice production, improving the cocoa value chain, banana etc are gradually positioning to contribute to the state gross domestic product.

While it is safe to say that his style has undoubtedly attracted a lot of criticisms to him, there is indeed a silver lining in the horizon as Ayade begins his final journey to the end of his tenure. What needs to be done now is to support him to complete whatever projects he can especially the International Airport

Even in his overzealousness, something good can still come out of Ayade. if CallyAir, despite the naysayers, can make the light of the day, then it is possible the airport and several other projects in the pipeline are going to be completed and inaugurated before May 2023. I know this because, the Ayade whose eyes are fixed for the future cares about his legacy.