Qatar Airways says keen on Indian carrier stake

Qatar Airways is reportedly interested in buying a stake in an Indian airline following a similar move by Gulf rival Etihad.

Akbar Al Baker, the carrier's CEO, was quoted as saying on Sunday that the airline could make a move once it was "sure of the regulations" governing India's aviation sector.

“India is a huge market, India is a potentially lucrative market. Qatar Airways will be interested once we are sure the regulations and the laws are properly liberalised,” he said in commments published by Bloomberg.

Al Baker said he was not yet studying any specific purchase in India.

Abu Dhabi’s Etihad is in talks with Jet Airways following the Indian government's decision in September to allow foreign airlines to own as much as 49 percent of India’s carriers as part of a push to attract investment.

Al Baker reportedly denied press reports that his airline was looking to buy a stake in Italian carrier Alitalia.

Al Baker also confirmed that Qatar Airways sold its 35 percent stake in Luxembourg’s Cargolux Airlines International for $117.5m.