Travelport is refusing to comment rather than denying outright reports claiming it will this week announce its widely rumoured stock market floatation (IPO).
A Travelport official gave the inevitable response this morning - "we never comment on market rumour or speculation" - following reports in two UKnewspapers that the travel tech firm will finally unveil plans for its listing on the London Stock Exchange.
The other two major GDSs in the travel, tourism and hospitality sector, Amadeus and Sabre, are also considering IPOs in 2010.
Reports suggest the listing would value the company at £1.2 billion.
The reports follow the appointment of non-exec chairman Dermot Gleeson, an famous Dublin lawyer who became attorney general for Ireland and latterly was also a non-exec chairman of Allied Irish Banks (AIB).
Despite surprise in some quarters that the company would move its corporate headquarters to the UK and list on the London markets, Travelport has been moving its pawns into prime positions for months, promoting UK-based Gordon Wilson to be its deputy-CEO and quietly hiring dozens of staff for its Langley offices.
Some still believe a wholesale move to the UK will cause difficulties for Travelport as it will be forced to reorganise its existing PNR (passenger name records) along EU privacy laws.