One of the most outspoken Chief Executive Officers within aviation, Akbar Al Baker, confirmed that Qatar Airways is looking into purchasing a 49% stake in RwandAir. This would be the second move that the Doha-based airline has made in Rwanda.
While speaking at the CAPA Qatar Aviation, Aeropolitical and Regulatory Summit in Doha, Qatar, on February 5, 2020, Al Baker stated that the carrier is currently in talks with RwandAir over a 49% stake in the African airline. In December 2019, Qatar Airways had already committed to a 60% stake in a new airport that would be built in Kigali, Rwanda.
However, the negotiations to become the minority shareholder are still underway, according to Al Baker, as the company “will take its time to negotiate.”
If a deal does go through, RwandAir would become Qatar Airways’ fifth investment into an airline over the past few years. The Qatari airline holds stakes in Cathay Pacific, China Southern Airlines (ZNH) , International Airlines Group (IAG) (IAG) and the South America-based LATAM.
Furthermore, Al Baker once again reiterated that the airline would be interested in increasing its stake in LATAM, something he previously mentioned when Delta Air Lines shocked the world with its $1.9 billion investment in the South American airline group.