Open to invest in Air India if we get right partner: Qatar Air
NEW DELHI: Keen to spread its wings in India, Qatar Airways on Thursday said it is conditionally open to bid for divestment-bound Air India or pick up a stake in IndiGo once the dispute between its founderpromoters is sorted out. With a right Indian partner and “flexible” labour conditions for AI selloff, Qatar Airways group chief executive Akbar Al Baker told TOI that he does not see “any reason why AI cannot become the best airline in the world (again)”.
However, he also warns that a strong investor for AI will mean labour unions massively hiking their demands. Simultaneously, the cash-rich aviation baron says he remains very keen on starting a new airline in India. To Indi-Go’s warring founder-promoter, his advice was not to “be ungrateful to have an opportunity to be a stakeholder in the largest Indian carrier from being an employee of (another) airline” — a clear reference to Rakesh Gangwal.
Qatar has been trying to get more flying rights from India but the Modi government in the last 5.5 years has not hiked bilaterals of foreign countries with big presence in Indian skies like Dubai, Singapore and Qatar
