Travel/Tourism
7Star Global Hangar Gets Aircraft Maintenance License
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has granted 7Star Global Hangar Limited, an Aircraft Maintenance Organisation (AMO), a licence to operate an all-inclusive Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in the country.
The Chief Executive Officer of 7Star Global Hangar, Mr Isaac Balami, an aircraft engineer and former National President of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), said the development will see the country witness a boom in aircraft maintenance that could save the country over $1 billion annually.
“The huge capital in aircraft maintenance we often experience, amounting to over $1 billion that is annually spent in West Africa alone is going to help to create jobs here in Nigeria.
“We are happy to say goodbye to four years Inspection/Maintenance on Augusta 139 helicopters which most VIPs, even the presidency operates. We also have EC 155 up to 6000 hours/12 years’ inspection.
“On the Learjet 45, about 9,600 hours’ inspection. On the small Cessna aircraft, we have about 100 hours/annual inspection,” he disclosed.
According to him, the company has authorisation to work on the Bombardier DHC-8 100/200/300 (C Checks/8000FH), DHC-8 400 (C checks/8000FH), Challenger 601/604/605 (2400 hours inspections), Hawker Siddeley HS 125-850/900 (A-G Inspections).
“Others are the Bell 429 (5000 hours/five years inspections), Embraer 135/145 (Up 5000 hours/48 months inspections), Embraer 600/650 (20000 hours/96 Months Inspections) and Boeing 737-300/400/500 (Up to 8A inspections).
“This is the highest inspection in most of the aircraft as stipulated in the manufacturer’s manual. That means a lot of job creation for the aviation industry and we are happy,” he said.
The former NAAPE president noted that the company was the first independent privately owned MRO in West and Central Africa because it was a stand-alone and had registered since 2012.
He explained that he was happy to announce the approval after over 15 months of the NCAA reviewing its variation and operational specifications (OpsSpecs) and also expanding the company’s capability list in Wheels and Brakes, NDT etc.
The aviation expert added that the company had finally finished phase five which was the last stage in the certification process and it had been granted final approval.
Mr Balami noted that as a former NAAPE president, he alongside the technical team and board members had seen the difficulties airlines go through to fly their aeroplanes overseas for repairs, incurring huge costs to operators of the aircraft.
He said the company had gone through the process of certification from phase one to phase five and today, with about six to seven experienced NCAA inspectors assigned to the project, the company had been able to go through the process.
The former NAAPE chief said the company was fully ready for operations and it was going to be operating with other sisters MRO and hangars across the country.
He said the company had also invested over five million dollars on equipment alone, adding that those were the equipment the NCAA team came to inspect.
“NCAA is satisfied and the equipment is all overhauled, calibrated, and up-to-date, and our engineers are well-trained on how to operate the equipment,” he said.
Mr Balami lauded the Minister of Aviation, Mr Hadi Sirika, for all the support and encouragement, the Director-General of NCAA, Mr Musa Nuhu; the Director of Airworthiness, Mr Kayode Ajiboye, with his team who participated in the success of the certification.
He gave assurance that the aviation ministry, aviation stakeholders and the general public that the trust bestowed on 7 Star Global Hangar would not be taken for granted.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 14.12 per cent stake in Ikeja Hotel Plc has been acquired by Honeywell Group Limited, a notice on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited has revealed.
Honeywell Group took up the part of the hospitality firm through one of its affiliates known as HGL Real Estate Limited.
Ikeja Hotel, in the disclosure filed with the NGX on July 2, 2026, said the stake comprised 305,323,525 units of its equities.
“Ikeja Hotel hereby notifies the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the general public that it has received notification from HGL Real Estate Limited, an affiliate of Honeywell Group Limited, that it has acquired 305,323,525 units of Ikeja Hotel Plc’s shares, representing 14.12 per cent shareholding in the company,” the notice stated.
Ikeja Hotel is one of Nigeria’s leading hospitality investment and hotel management companies with premium hospitality assets.
It operates two leading hospitality organisations in Lagos, the Sheraton Lagos Hotel and Balmoral Convention Centre.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
About 10 hospitality establishments, including hotels and restaurants, were sealed on Wednesday by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
The affected businesses are located in different locations in the Alimosho Local Government Area of the metropolis, Business Post learned from a statement from the agency.
It was stated that they were sealed by LASEPA for persistent violations of environmental regulations despite repeated warnings, abatement notices, and several opportunities to comply with the agency’s directives.
According to the notice, the enforcement exercise was carried out in line with the directives of the Lagos State government to ensure strict compliance with environmental laws and to safeguard public health.
The affected facilities were said to have breached various environmental regulations, including noise pollution, air pollution, unlawful discharge of untreated effluent, obstruction of official duties, among others.
LASEPA closed the premises of Granduer Meridian at Obasa Akiniyi Street, Oluwaga, Ipaja for non-compliance with the agency’s directives; Lasola (Spazio Bar), located on Ipaja Road, Fatolu Bus Stop, Ipaja, was sealed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives; Millennium Restaurant, located at Gate Bus Stop, Ipaja, Ayobo, was shut down for non-compliance with directives; O2 Exquisite Suites & Tower on Jimoh Akinremi Street, Jimoh Bus Stop, Akowonjo, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; and Chirozz Hotel & Suites, located on Samuel Street, Akowonjo, by Vulcanizer Bus Stop, Egbeda, was closed for noise pollution and non-compliance with directives.
In addition, House 7 Hotel, located at Remi Akande Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with LASEPA’s directives; House 48 on Isiba Oluwo Street, Egbeda, was sealed for non-compliance with directives; Exclusive Hotel, located at Ishan Kimishe, Akesan Bus Stop, was shut down by non-compliance with directives; Sabola Ventures Limited, Iocated at Km 11, LASU–Isheri Road, Igando, was shut down for operating without evidence of an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP), and discharging untreated effluent into public drains; and City Int’l Motel, located at Chief Olu-Adegbite Street, off Oladun Street, Council Bus Stop, Idimu, was sealed for non-compliance with directives.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Emirates has become the first airline cargo carrier to deploy the Boeing 777-300ERSF passenger-to-freighter converted aircraft.
The aircraft (A6-EBK) will enter commercial service with a flight from Hong Kong to Dubai carrying over 100 tonnes of cargo, a statement from the airline operator stated.
The converted Emirates Boeing 777-300ERSF offers 100 tonnes of payload capacity and 811 m³ of cargo volume, representing a 25 per cent increase in cargo volume over the Boeing 777-F production freighter.
At 47 pallet positions, the converted aircraft also accommodates 10 additional pallet positions when compared with the Boeing 777-F production freighter, making it ideal for transporting volumetric cargo such as e-commerce goods, which currently constitute around 20 per cent of global air cargo tonnage with further growth projected in the next few years.
The converted Boeing 777-300ERSF is the sixth new freighter, following five Boeing 777-F production freighters, to join Emirates SkyCargo’s fleet since March 2026.
As part of its ambitious expansion strategy, Emirates SkyCargo will also be taking delivery of five additional Boeing 777-F aircraft as well as one additional converted Boeing 777-300ERSF by December 2026.
Emirates SkyCargo will also be introducing three additional converted Boeing 777-ERSFs into its fleet in 2027.
“The induction of the first converted Emirates Boeing 777-300ERSF into operational service represents the next step in the expansion of our fleet and operational agility.
“We are optimising our fleet assets by converting older Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft to meet the growing demand for air cargo capacity to transport goods rapidly across the world,” Emirates SkyCargo’s Divisional Senior Vice President, Badr Abbas, commented.
“Combined with our growing fleet of Boeing 777-F production freighters, we have already been able to scale our global freighter network from just over 40 destinations in February this year to 62 destinations currently and growing.
“We are providing our global customers with scalable cargo capacity and ultimate flexibility and connectivity when moving cargo to and through our hub in Dubai,” Abbas added.
