Qatar Airways Still Interested In Bombardier CSeries

[straitman]

Qatar Airways Still Interested In CSeries

Mar 12, 2012

By Jens Flottau

EU objections to state aid received by Spanair were the “breaking point” in talks between Qatar Airways and the European airline earlier this year about a possible equity investment, CEO Akbar Al Baker told Aviation Week last week. During an interview at the ITB tourism fair in Berlin. Al Baker touched on a number of subjects, including the airline's plans to again consider an order for Bombardier CSeries aircraft and the executive's less than positive opinion of the International Air Transport Association's (IATA's) handling of the EU emissions trading system (ETS) controversy. The investment talks with Spanair were “nearly finalized,” Al Baker said, but claims over earlier state support stopped the process. Spanair has since ceased operations and declared bankruptcy (DAILY, Jan. 31). In spite of the breakdown in those negotiations, Al Baker said he will continue to seek other opportunities. Hinting at the recent activities of Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways (which just invested in Air Berlin and Air Seychelles) Al Baker noted, “You don’t start taking airlines that are sick [where] you know you have to inject more every quarter." “I’m a businessman, I never wanted to invest in Air Berlin,” said Al Baker.

 

[samh004]

Things don’t sound particularly good for Air Berlin, but then again their failure to invest in Spanair led to (/couldn’t halt) it’s demise, so I’d have thought they were in worse shape…