Qatar Airways open to buying Lufthansa stake
German flag carrier Lufthansa has rebuffed Qatar Airway’s apparent interest in purchasing a stake.
Qatar Air chief executive Akbar al-Baker hinted it may consider buying a stake or collaborating with the airline to tap opportunities in Germany.
It’s fair to say that didn’t go down too well with the German airline.
"We did not have Lufthansa privatised in Germany to have it nationalised in Qatar," was the retort from a Lufthansa spokesman.
That is a non too subtle dig at Qatar Air and other Gulf airlines it has long accused of being propped up by state subsidies.
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr has regularly criticised Qatar Air, Emirates and Etihad Airways of receiving ‘unfair’ hand-outs from their respective governments.
Qatar Air has minority stakes in IAG, Cathay Pacific, and China Southern Airlines, but would only be able purchase a minority stake in Lufthansa.
European rules only allow for foreign non-European ownership of up to 49%. The two airlines are in rival airline alliances, although Qatar Air has repeatedly hinnted it may leave the OneWorld alliance in the future.
Lufthansa is part of the Star Alliance group of airlines.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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