British airport operator TBI, in which financier Dermot Desmond has a 4 per cent stake, has said it is still involved in takeover talks which could lead to an offer being made for the company. TBI, which owns or operates 37 airports worldwide, including Belfast International and Cardiff, said the discussions were at a preliminary stage.

In August, an unnamed party launched an unsolicited bid for the group, but those talks failed. It is understood that Mr Desmond, who owns London City Airport, was not involved in that unsolicited approach.