12 Facts About Maurice Flanagan

Sir Maurice Flanagan was a British businessman, the founding CEO of Emirates and executive vice-chairman of The Emirates Group.

Maurice Flanagan performed his National Service in the RAF as a navigator commissioned officer.

Maurice Flanagan was promoted to flying officer in March 1954, and relinquished his commission two years later.

In 1969, Flanagan was one of the winners of a TV playwriting competition run by the Observer newspaper and ITV's Saturday Night Theatre with "The Garbler Strategy", a satire on management theory that starred Leonard Rossiter.

Kenneth Tynan, one of the competition judges, invited Maurice Flanagan to write for the National Theatre, where Tynan was literary advisor.

Maurice Flanagan chose the more sure route of a promising airline career.

Maurice Flanagan spent 25 years with BOAC and British Airways, held senior management positions with British Airways from 1974 until he was seconded from BA's senior management to Dnata, the organisation appointed by the government of Dubai to run its travel and airport interests.

In 1978, Maurice Flanagan was appointed director and general manager of Dubai National Air Travel Agency.

In 1990, Maurice Flanagan was appointed group managing director of the Emirates Group and became vice chairman and group president in July 2003.

Maurice Flanagan was appointed executive vice chairman in 2006, he retired in 2013.

Maurice Flanagan was awarded a CBE in 2000 for services to communities in the United Arab Emirates and to aviation, and KBE in the 2010 Birthday Honours.

Maurice Flanagan died at his home in London on 7 May 2015 at the age of 86.