Travel/Tourism
Emirates Begins Special Offers for Trips to Dubai
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
To help globetrotters kick off their 2017 travel plans, Emirates is launching special offers for trips to Dubai.
For a limited time, each ticket purchased on www.Emirates.com will include complimentary tickets to Dubai Parks and Resorts – the Middle East’s largest integrated theme park destination.
Flight bookings have to be made between 22 January to 29 January 2017 for travel between 1 February and 31 March 2017.
Dubai’s year-round sunshine, world-class shopping, stunning beaches and iconic buildings keep travellers returning time and time again. Whether it’s a first visit or a return trip, there is always something new to explore – from the latest theme parks to the finest restaurants. Emirates’ special deal offers great value and an even bigger incentive to visit Dubai.
Dubai has seen the addition of several new attractions in the last year. Among the latest must-see places in the dynamic city are Dubai Parks and Resorts which features three theme parks: Bollywood Parks™ Dubai, MOTIONGATE™ Dubai, as well as the region’s first LEGOLAND® Park and LEGOLAND® Water Park. The entire destination is connected by Riverland™ Dubai – a retail and dining destination at the heart of Dubai Parks and Resorts which also features Lapita™ Hotel, a Polynesian themed family hotel part of the Marriott Autograph® Collection.
MOTIONGATE™ Dubai is the Middle East’s largest Hollywood-inspired theme park, bringing blockbuster movies to life with rides, attractions and entertainment from three of the largest and most successful motion picture studios in Hollywood – DreamWorks Animation, Columbia Pictures and Lionsgate.
Bollywood Parks™ Dubai is the first park of its kind in the world and a must-visit for Bollywood fans, inspired by the greatest Bollywood blockbusters, it features five zones with interactive rides and multimedia theatre shows.
Families with children age 2-12 can enjoy interactive fun at LEGOLAND® Dubai and LEGOLAND® Water Park with over 60 LEGO® themed rides and water rides, shows, building experiences and attractions.
Emirates’ hub in Dubai also provides direct connection to over 150 cities in 80 countries. Globalistas can explore the airline’s latest destinations launched in 2016: Cebu and Clark in the Philippines, Yinchuan and Zhengzhou in China, Yangon in Myanmar, Hanoi in Vietnam and Fort Lauderdale in the US.
Emirates offers excellent onboard service from an international cabin crew who come from 135 nationalities and speak over 60 languages. With lie-flat beds in Business Class, the largest in-seat screens in the world in Economy class at 13.3 inches and more than 2,500 channels of on-demand entertainment on the award-winning inflight entertainment system, ice Digital Widescreen, Emirates provides quality products and value for money.
Those travelling with children can take advantage of the extensive family offering from priority boarding across all airports to special kid’s meals, dedicated children’s entertainment on ice and exclusive toys and Lonely Planet Kids activity bags on board. Emirates is the only airline to operate an all Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 fleet, further elevating the passenger experience on board through a modern, state-of-the-art wide-body fleet.
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.
