Qatar Airways eyes India push with 100 new jets

LONDON: Qatar Airways Ltd may order 100 new jetliners before year-end to power its push into India and also plans to announce two new routes to the United Kingdom even as the country prepares to exit the European Union, said chief executive officer (CEO) Akbar Al Baker yesterday.

The Persian Gulf carrier is confident that a new aviation policy mapped out by “futuristic” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will permit 100 per cent foreign ownership of a domestic airline.

Qatar Airways is briefing lawyers in India and will seek formally to establish the new airline soon, with a tender for aircraft to follow.

“It could be this year,” said the CEO after addressing the Qatar-UK Business and Investment Forum. “It depends how fast we can arrange our application.” Bloomberg