Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad International) CEO Akbar al Baker says his airline is keen to gain a shareholding in IndiGo Airlines (6E, Delhi International) following parent firm InterGlobe Aviation's oversubscribed USD460 million IPO in Mumbai late last month. The Qatari carrier has long sought a shareholding in the LCC which it says would give it a very strong foothold in the lucrative Indian market.
Speaking to Bloomberg during the ongoing 2015 Dubai Airshow, al Baker said Qatar Airways would look at acquiring InterGlobe stock once the firm begins open trading later this week.
"The process to do it would have taken a long time and they were in a hurry," he said. "If we can go up to the 49% that's allowed, we'd like to go as much as that."
According to al Baker, the Qataris are also looking to increase their shareholding in the International Airlines Group (IAG) beyond the current 9.99%. Studies concerning Royal Air Maroc (AT, Casablanca Mohamed V) are also ongoing, he added.
