DOHA: Qatar Airways (QA) has said it is not in talks with India’s SpiceJet to pursue a commercial stake in that airline.
However, QA confirmed that it is in talks with the Indian carrier Indigo.
In a statement yesterday, QA said: “This release is to confirm that QA is not in talks to pursue a commercial stake in SpiceJet.
“There is no interest from the airline to engage in a partnership with the Gurgaon-based airline.
“QA officially states that it is an inaccurate claim from news reports that ‘QA is picking up a stake in SpiceJet’.”
Claims are also being made in reports that a consensus has been reached regarding an interline agreement, and that negotiations are set to continue in the near future.
QA does not have any form of interline agreement with SpiceJet, which is the simplest form of relations between any two airlines, and QA is not planning to pursue any form of arrangement in the future, the airline clarified.
This is not the first time that such claims have been made. Similar news was disseminated in January 2013 and this appears to be a tactic to increase market and share value.
These stake sale comments are unfounded and are believed to be deliberately spread to influence share valuations, QA said, adding it has no further remarks on the matter.
But QA confirmed that the only airline it is talking to is Indigo, India’s biggest carrier.
Meanwhile, flydubai also rejected reports of interest to buy a stake in SpiceJet, Reuters reports.
In an emailed statement, flydubai said it is not in talks with SpiceJet.
On Friday, SpiceJet said it was in “exploratory and preliminary stage” talks with potential investors who have shown an interest in putting money into the airline. It did not say who the potential investors were.
The Peninsula
