Our regular feature, brought to you in association with Duty Free Global from Ireland, celebrates memorable scenes, moments, launches and campaigns related to the global aviation and travel retail sphere.
UAE. Today’s images relate to the sad passing of long-time Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman & CEO Colm McLoughlin earlier this week.
As reported, Colm McLoughlin, one of travel retail’s greatest statesmen, passed at age 81 on 30 October after a short illness.
The subsequent outpouring of grief and respect from the travel retail community (see The Moodie Davitt Report’s and Martin Moodie’s LinkedIn pages) bears extraordinary testament to both Colm the man and the great business achiever.
All tributes will be passed on to Colm’s wife Breeda.
Colm was the driving force behind Dubai Duty Free’s rise from a start-up on 20 December 1983 to become the largest single airport duty-free operation in the world.
Dubai Duty Free Managing Director Ramesh Cidambi said, “Colm was a great leader who built an award-winning retail business at Dubai Airport and steered its growth to a US$2 billion business with over 6,000 employees at the time of his retirement. He was a true friend who touched so many lives within the travel retail industry.
“I join our Chairman, H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum and all of our employees in sending our deepest condolences to Colm’s wife Breeda, his son Niall and his daughters Tyna and Mandy and all of their families. Our thoughts and prayers are with Breeda and the family at this very difficult time.” 
Someday we shall return to this place upon the meadow“Why is that easy?” Colm demanded to know. The answer was clear. Nothing had been easy. But Colm had the genius to make it look so. |
