McErlaine joins as trade partnerships manager for Scotland and Northern Ireland, while Coulbeck comes in as head of trade support – returning to the business after more than a decade away.

They will take up their new roles with the group on 9 January and 16 January respectively.

McErlaine brings more than 30 years travel industry experience to the role after starting out with now defunct dnata brand Travel 2 in Glasgow before joining Qatar Airways’ field sales team in 2006.

He moved on to Virgin Atlantic in 2011 where he was partnership development manager until 2020, returning to the travel industry in July last year providing maternity cover as a Newmarket Holidays account manager.

McErlaine will report to head of trade partnerships Colin Currie and will be tasked with supporting agents and homeworkers in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Coulbeck, meanwhile, replaces Karen Fletcher as head of trade support following her promotion to trade partnerships director.

It sees Coulbeck return to dnata’s B2B team following a period working as Gold Medal sales development manager between 2007 and 2011. She has since held roles with JTA (head of sales), ITC (business development manager) and Black Opal Travel Group (sales director).

She will report to Fletcher, and will be based out of dnata’s B2B office in Leyland, Lancashire. In her new role, she will oversee the agency sales team and support the field trade partnership team, manage dnata’s Farebank agent reward scheme, coordinate agent fams and events, negotiate commercial agreements, manage brochure distribution, and serve as conduit between the trade and dnata’s B2B team.

“We’re really pleased to have Raymond join the team, and to welcome Kym back to the B2B fold," said Fletcher.

"They’re both highly respected and talented professionals – and together are further evidence of our growing confidence as we enter 2023.

"Travel agents are at the absolute heart of what we do, so further expanding the team responsible for making sure their every need is met can only be good news for them.”