Maurice Flanagan, who passed away in London aged 86 on Thursday was the British born founding Chief Executive of the Dubai based Emirates airlines. Best known for starting Emirates, an airline that is virtually a household name across the globe, Flanagan passion for aviation started much earlier. He joined with British Overseas Airways Corporation, the front runner of British Airways in the early 1950s.

Even in those days, geographical boundaries did not deter the young Flanagan who in 1978 moved to Dubai to become director and general manager of dnata, a supplier of combined air services in the world offering aircraft ground handling, cargo, travel and flight catering services across five continents. Six years later, in 1984, he was among a 10-man team that produced a business plan for a new airline – to be named either Dubai Airlines or Emirates airline.

Obviously the business plan made sense and a year later Flanagan started the new airline with two aircraft from Pakistan International Airlines. Today Emirates has grown into a behemoth which has a fleet of more than 230 aircraft, connecting to over 140 destinations in more than 80 countries around the globe.

It was, however, not only his business acumen that made Flanagan arguably one of the most respected and liked persons in aviation in the world. His sharp mind and ready wit were other traits that endeared him to many. Even during the early 2000s– while he was still with Emirates (he retired in 2013 as the airline’s Executive Vice Chairman) Flanagan was in constant touch with the world and responded to emails almost instantly no matter which part of the globe they came from.

The Hindu BusinessLine’s association with Flanagan however went further back in time, to the 1990s when the Vajpayee Government started the process of divesting Air India. Flanagan was to come to Agra for an aviation summit at that time and we pursued him for close to a month with email requests for an interaction. All that we got was a stony silence; for once Flanagan had decided not to make use of technology.

We got him on the phone while he was in Delhi and this is what he said, “Young man I like your persistence. I will give your paper a telephonic interview,” and he went ahead and slowly and patiently answered all our questions so that we could take notes without any trouble.

While the telephonic interview was a coup we had another problem – our archives did not have a photograph of his. Left with little choice we called back and were told by his wife that he would be more than happy to be clicked. No ego, no hassles. Flanagan posed for the photographer.

And this started a long association. At the Dubai Air Show in early 2000 Flanagan surprised me by asking ``Do you know the easiest way to figure out if someone has really worked in the airline industry?” And then he answered with a laugh: ``If they are not stone deaf then you can be sure they are lying. Son, I earned my spurs working on the tarmac of those noisy aircraft with the result that now I am stone deaf.”

Stone deaf or not Flanagan’s passcing away has certainly left a silence in the world of aviation.

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