The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema & Tv
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
      • Shows
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

Archive

Emirates remove controversial clause from TfL contract

Emirates remove controversial clause from TfL contract
19 July 2013
Keumars Afifi-Sabet
Avatar
Keumars Afifi-Sabet
19 July 2013

The airline Emirates has removed a clause prohibiting Transport for London (TfL) from striking deals with Israel and criticising the Emerati government or royal family. The news was uncovered following a Freedom of Information request. 

Speaking to Huffington Post UK, a spokesperson for the airline said: “The clause in the Emirates contract with TfL was put in place to protect the commercial interests of the Emirates brand.”

“The clause was not intended to discriminate against any particular person, religion, or country,” the spokesperson added, continuing: “Given the misinterpretation of this clause Emirates have agreed with TfL to remove it from the contract. Emirates, a global, multicultural, multimedia company, does not discriminate against passengers of any race, people, or religion.”

The contract prohibits Boris Johnson or TfL from making “any statement in connection with the subject matter of this contract that is disparaging or defamatory” of the Emirates, the government of Dubai, the government of the United Arab Emirates and the royal family. 

TfL were also unable to commit to commercial deals with any member of a “country with which the United Arab Emirates does not at the date of this Contract or at any relevant point during the Term maintain diplomatic relations”. 

Israel remains the only nation falling under the outlined definition.

Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson told the Huffington Post UK the mayor was “unaware of the clause in question”. Having learned of the news, London’s mayor instructed TfL boss Sir Peter Hendy to immediately renegotiate the contract.

Meanwhile, the former mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, told Huffington Post UK he would never have agreed to such a clause: “The only people likely to fund this were a medieval dictatorship that wanted some kind of status from it. I just think, [we should have] let the Emirates walk away.”

“Boris just doesn’t do detail. He was very busy writing a book about the history of London at the time,” he added. 

The Emirates airline provided £36 million to the £63 million cost of the cable car which connects North Greenwich with the ExCel centre. 

Keumars Afifi-Sabet

Related Items

More in Archive

Achieve timeless elegance this S/S 2014 with S.I.L.K.

Ellie Owen
Read More

Bespoke jewellery by Charlotte Tamar

Niten Thakor
Read More

Enjoy designer luxury with Alexis Smith Lingerie’s A/W 2013 collection

Ellie Owen
Read More

Embrace vibrancy and colour with PPQ this winter

Ellie Owen
Read More

Kenzo Metallics adds the sparkle to you Christmas wardrobe

Niten Thakor
Read More

A Christmas alternative: Cranberry and Orange Jeweled Nut Bake

Bethany Stone
Read More

An Austique shopping guide: your one-stop shop for last minute gifts

Christianna Pugliese
Read More

A comforting twist to designer heels

Michelle McGill
Read More

Iain Duncan Smith condemned for refusing to meet with Trussell Trust

Abbie Cavendish
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap
  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • I’m Your Man (Ich bin dein Mensch)
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • The Girl and the Spider (Das Mädchen und die Spinne)
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • Celebrate International Women’s Day with a Bombay Sapphire Cocktails & Create masterclass
    Food & Drinks
  • Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Bicep at Saatchi Gallery Online
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • A Brixton Tale
    ★★★★★
    Glasgow
  • Surge
    ★★★★★
    Glasgow
  • The Old Ways
    ★★★★★
    Glasgow
  • Women in film introduce favourite female-directed features for new BFI series on 8th March
    Cinema & Tv
  • Berlinale 2021 winners: The full list
    Berlinale
  • Berlinale 2021 winners: The full list
    Berlinale
  • WandaVision
    ★★★★★
    disney
  • Coming 2 America
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • The Dissident
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Unleash your inner animal with Bill Skinner’s AW 13 collection
Mary Katrantzou’s crossover to the beauty world brings a delicious candle