Dnata honours 40 years of partnership

Maurice Flanagan, Executive Vice Chairman - Emirates Airline & Group, together with Gary Chapman, Emirates President Group Services and Dnata; and Iain Andrew, Divisional Senior Vice President, honoured this long-standing relationship with their airline customers by hosting a commemorative ceremony in the Dnata Chalet today.

Mr. Flanagan acknowledged this milestone in the local travel industry and expressed his thanks to representatives of each customer airline. He also presented a specially-commissioned souvenir to each airline customer representative, as a token of appreciation and to recognise the deep and longstanding relationship between them and Dnata Travel Services, the region's largest provider of travel management services.

Dnata's partnerships with Air India, British Airways, Gulf Air, Iran Air, Kuwait Airways, Middle East Airlines and Pakistan International Airlines, were signed in 1966 - the first year of Dnata's operation as a general sales agent.

Mr. Flanagan said: "We extend our deep thanks to our airline partners. In an ever-changing and increasingly competitive travel market, we are grateful to our partners who have stuck with us through thick and thin for forty years. The longevity of these partnerships testify to the commitment from both Dnata and our customers to work together for mutual success.

Over the years they have helped us grow and develop our business, and we too are committed to helping them achieve their commercial goals. We look forward to many more fruitful years of partnership to come." he added.

Mark Turner, Head of Airline Affairs, Dnata Travel Services added: "The role of the traditional GSA is changing but for the time being will continue to play a pivotal role in supporting airlines maximise their revenues through well crafted distribution and marketing strategies. We make an ideal partner for new entrants to the region who are able to access and capitalise on our regional retail and corporate network as well as local expertise to quickly grow market share."

Personalise souvenirs of appreciation were presented to: Paul Starrs, Area Commercial Manager, U.A.E, M.E. & Pakistan, British Airways, Freddie Vaz, Regional Head, Air India, Noman Shah, Manager U.A.E & ME, Pakistan International Airlines, M. Mehdi Oskounejad, Area Manager UAE, Iran Air, Othman Othman, Regional Director, Kuwait Airways, Mahfood Al Harthy, Gulf Regional General Manager, Gulf Air and Nizar Khoury, Head of Commercial, Middle East Airlines.

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