A new Nigerian airline which is an initiative between Dana Air and the Government of Cross River State, Nigeria, is set to commence operations in November 2016.

Cally Air which will be managed under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with Dana Group, will operate flights between Calabar, Obudu, Lagos and Abuja

According to the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Ben Ayade, Cally Air is part of his government's effort to encourage tourism in the state.

Speaking when he led the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Dana Group, Mr. Jacky Hathiramani to the site of Dana’s Calabar Pharmaceutical Company under construction, Governor Ayade said Cross River was creating new platforms, new business opportunities that would open a fresh horizon for young people to exploit."

Cross River State has a Dash 8-200 5N-GRS and Ayade says the airline will make its inaugural flight in November, 2016.

We have our own state’s aircraft, which Dana has agreed to do a detailed technical study of. The aircraft is in Aero Contractor’s fleet in Lagos. As soon as that is done, we will finalise to get the aircraft in the air. Once that is done, it is going to be written completely as “Cally Air. So, it will be flying Calabar, Obudu, Lagos and of course, Abuja.

We are in a haste to get Cally Air started. Calabar will have its own airline in partnership with Dana as its technical operator. We have also reached a point where we will be signing up on that deal,” said Ayade.