Qatar Airways is in talks to buy a 49 percent stake in state-owned RwandAir, said its CEO Akbar al Baker Wednesday.
A stake in an African airline would widen Qatar Airways’ reach in one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation regions, and potentially help it bypass restrictions imposed on it by some Arab states, forcing it to fly longer routes to avoid the forbidden airspace of some of its neighbours.
The ban does not apply to foreign airlines flying to Qatar. Thus, RwandAir could potentially carry passengers from Africa over the blocked airspace to Doha without any airspace restrictions.
Qatar Airways already owns stakes in International Airlines Group (British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Vueling, LEVEL), China Southern, Cathay Pacific and LATAM Airlines Group. The airline has also expressed interest in taking a stake in India’s IndiGo and in Royal Air Maroc.
Qatar Airways agreed in December to take a 60 percent stake in a new airport in Rwanda.
Source: Al Jazeera
