Qatar Airways to acquire 25% stake in South African airline Airlink

Qatar Airways has signed an agreement to acquire a 25 per cent stake in South African carrier Airlink as part of its plans to build its route network across the continent.
The stake in southern Africa’s regional carrier aligns with Qatar Airways’ business strategy in Africa, the Doha-based airline’s group chief executive Badr Al Meer said during a live-stream broadcast of a press conference in Doha on Tuesday.
“As a financially robust airline that is renowned for its resilience, agility and extensive connectivity across southern Africa, Airlink represents a strategic partner that shares our commitment to unlock in Africa vast business and tourism potential,” Mr Al Meer said.
He, however, declined to put a value on the acquisition but said that regulatory approval for the deal is under way and that the commercial operations teams at both airlines are working on a joint strategy to “pave the road forward”.
The airline’s latest deal in Africa adds to Qatar Airways’ portfolio of minority shareholdings in global airlines, including British Airways’ parent company, International Airlines Group, and Latam Airlines, among others.
More to follow …