Qatar Airways’ courtship of American is one for the long haul

Qatar Airways’ courtship of American is one for the long haul:

"Doug Parker may have been left puzzled, concerned and “not happy” after Qatar Airways revealed its plan to buy up to a 10 per cent stake in American Airlines last week. But the US carrier’s chief executive should have also added flattered to his list of emotions. Akbar Al Baker, the outspoken chief executive of the Gulf’s fastest-growing supercarrier, has repeatedly stressed that his strategy is to invest in profitable airlines — “goldsmiths”, as he calls them, rather than “scrap dealers”. The dig at rival Middle Eastern airline Etihad Airways is clear. The Abu Dhabi carrier’s strategy of taking minority stakes in troubled airlines to drive growth has come at a cost. Alitalia, the Italian carrier, is in administration. Air Berlin is on life support. Etihad is in the midst of reassessing its strategy."



'via Blog this'