Dublin // The Irish airline Aer Lingus, part of the International Airlines Group (IAG), plans to “exploit” its relationship with Qatar Airways by tapping into the network of the Gulf carrier.
Qatar Airways holds a 15 per cent stake in IAG. IAG, the parent company of British Airways and Spain’s Iberia, took over Aer Lingus in September in a €1.36 billion (Dh5.42bn) deal.
The IAG stake is helping Qatar Airways to tap into the group’s extensive network in the US through the Heathrow and Madrid hubs. In exchange, IAG can benefit from Qatar Airways’ connections in Australasia.
“There’s certainly an opportunity for us in the future to plug in the geographic advantage of Qatar,” said Stephen Kavanagh, Aer Lingus’s chief executive, at the International Air Travel Association (Iata) annual general meeting in Dublin.
“Now we have not just a shareholder, but also a partner with the competitive network of Qatar [Airways] … There are active talks. We will connect into Qatar hub … it is a natural way to exploit the opportunities that both parties can bring,” Mr Kavanagh said.
Etihad Airways had accumulated a 4 per cent stake in Aer Lingus before it exited after the IAG takeover.
James Hogan, Etihad Aviation Group’s president and chief executive, said previously that his company bought its stake in Aer Lingus based on a strategy of increasing the number of flights between Dublin and Abu Dhabi.
The original plan was for a “large investment” but when it became clear that the management of the Irish carrier did not share Etihad’s vision, the airline moved on to focus on deals with airberlin and Alitalia.
selgazzar@thenational.ae
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