Qatar Airways studies share issue

Even though Qatar Airways is making a loss currently, "we definitely plan to go in for a public issue once we break even," promised Qatar Airways chief executive, Akbar Al Baker.

Al Baker made the statement to journalists in Hyderabad on the occasion of the inaugural flight of the airways from Doha to Hyderabad. He elaborated that the airline, one of the fastest growing in the world, has undertaken a massive investment and expansion policy investing $1.5 billion in purchasing aircraft, an additional $2.4 billion in orders placed recently which excluded the acquisition of four super jumbo jets each valued at $1 billion.

"An airline needs at least 10 years since its inception to make profits and we are almost six years old and may keep losing for another five years.

"But our losses are planned and carefully monitored and are at least 50 per cent less than what we projected," said Al Baker.

He added that the airline operates other businesses such as aircraft catering, ground handling, among others.

In these areas, profits have gone up by nearly 60 per cent above budgetary expectations.