Intense negotiations are ongoing between Qatar Airways and the Rwandan government over a massive investment in the latter's state airline RwandAir, according to Qatar's Akbar al-Baker.
The Gulf airline's chief executive officer told the media during last week that the negotiations are ongoing into taking a 49% stake in the African airline. Such a move would greatly enhance Qatar's exploration into one of the world's fastest-growing aviation regions - Africa. It might also help it get round some of the restrictions imposed on it by its near neighbours which have had a negative impact on the carrier's operations. RwandAir could potentially carry African passengers over airspace that is currently blocked to Qatar registered aircraft, to the Gulf carriers home base of Doha.
"We are very tough negotiators ... we will take our time to negotiate," Akbar al-Baker said ad Qatar Airways already holds investments in a number of other airlines, including Air Italy, China Southern, Cathay Pacific, IAG and LATAM Airlines. It was only in December that Qatar Airways agreed to take a stake in a new Rwandan airport.
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