Aviation Emirates denies plan to acquire UK travel concierge firm By Neil Halligan November 29, 2024, 5:03 PM Alamy/Grant Rooney/Premium Dubai airline Emirates has denied it held talks with Heathrow travel concierge business DiamondAir International DiamondAir International services 600 airports Emirates denies report of talks It has invested heavily in premium offering Dubai airline Emirates has denied claims it plans to acquire UK-based travel concierge business DiamondAir International. A media report on Thursday said the carrier was in talks to buy the Heathrow Airport-based company. It offers premium meet and assist services and personalised travel concierge solutions at more than 600 airports worldwide. The report said its chief executive and founder had met with Emirates in recent weeks to discuss a potential acquisition. Emirates, however, said it was not in talks with any company about a possible takeover or stake acquisition. “Emirates has no plans to buy into or acquire stakes in any other business,” a spokesperson told AGBI. BA drops Kuwait after 60 years… but why? Could Riyadh Air’s brand help Saudi Arabia take off? British Airways reverses decision to scrap Bahrain flights “We’re focused on our own organic growth and commercial partnerships that make sense for customers and will always invest in our own core business.” Emirates airline has invested heavily in its premium offerings. It was one of the first to offer chauffeur-driven services for its premium class customers and it has spent millions on its lounges, both in Dubai and overseas. The airline said AED44 million ($12 million) was spent this year on new lounges at London Stansted and Jeddah airports and on refurbishing their existing facility at Paris Charles De Gaulle. Following delays to the delivery of its 777X aircraft order from Boeing, the company embarked on a $4 billion retrofit programme for 191 of its A380 and 777 aircraft. In May, the airline posted a post-tax profit of $2.4 billion (AED8.7 billion) for the first half of the year, down 7 percent compared with the same period last year after it paid UAE corporate income tax for the first time. Figures minus the tax show its profit was up two percent. Emirates CEO Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum said it “expects customer demand to remain strong for the rest of 2024-25”.
