The new airline is expected to have an Indian chairman and will have Indians as majority of Board members.
Doha-based Qatar Airways (QA) is soon expected to apply for starting a new airline in India, according to a report by The Times of India.
The airline, which will be fully owned by Qatar-based entities, is expected to be a full service carrier and will operate on domestic routes, the report suggests.
The new airline is expected to have an Indian chairman and will have Indians as majority of Board members. Moneycontrol couldn’t independently verify the report.
Speaking to the newspaper about QA’s plan of setting up an airline in India, group chief executive Akbar Al Baker said: “Our lawyers have started working on our application. We will soon get some clarification from government authorities in India to give us the exact direction on how we can start the process (and) formally apply for the (licence) sometime soon.”
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The Centre had in June 2016 allowed foreign entities to own 100 percent of an airline in India. However, foreign airlines can own only up to 49 percent stake and foreign investment firms will have to own the remaining 51 percent.
“If an (Indian) airline has more than 20 aircraft, it can operate outside India (as per Indian rules). However the airline that we are launching will operate within India even beyond 20 aircraft,” Al Baker said, according to the report.
The Doha-based airline has also said that it is not considering a bid for India’s ailing flag carrier Air India.