A large element of the mainland European arm of family holiday resort company Center Parcs - which is set to open in Ireland at the end of this month - looks set to be sold.

ROYAL Bank of Scotland, Britain’s biggest government-owned bank, has received bids for its Dublin-based aircraft-leasing operation from commercial lender CIT and Jackson Square Aviation, according to sources.

Australian national carrier Qantas Airways said today it had accepted a €6.7bn takeover offer from a private equity consortium including the country’s Macquarie Bank and the Texas Pacific Group.