EXCLUSIVE! Qatar to invest in Kingfisher?

Neelam Mathews

Feb 7, 2012

It may take a while to get back to good times, but if word is to be believed, the process is on. Aerospace Diary learns that Qatar Airways is burning midnight oil to get its papers ready. Once the Foreign Direct Investment proposal is cleared, it will pick up a stake (49%?) in Kingfisher Airlines. Generally, this would mean installing its own CEO, COO and CFO. This decision should worry its competitor Emirates that is presently referred to in close circles as "India's national carrier."

Aerospace Diary could not confirm the news. Though one wonders what would have prompted Vijay Mallya to leave the IPL auction in Bangalore to take a flight last Saturday to meet up with the prime minister in Delhi?

Aerospace Diary also learns this process will not go through seamlessly as one of the biggest competitors to Kingfisher has upped the antics to block the deal. Expect to hear more on “security concerns and the Middle East” in the newspapers in coming weeks.

Frankly, I may be wrong, but think that’s politically incorrect. Given that India has a home-grown threat of its own, one should not assume doing business with Gulf countries means pilots will be committing harakiri. Lets grow up!