Qatar Airways plans to acquire a 25 per cent equity stake in Virgin Australia in a deal that includes the Australian carrier launching flights to Doha and improved market access for the Gulf carrier as it expands its global network to tap into rising travel demand.
The Qatari carrier is purchasing the minority shareholding from Virgin Australia’s owner Bain Capital, the two airlines said. They did not disclose the financial terms of the deal, which remains subject to regulatory approval.
“The alignment of our two airlines is significant, the relationships are deep,” Qatar Airways group chief executive Badr Al-Meer, said. “The investment further demonstrates our strategic alignment with Virgin Australia and our collective ambition to deliver the best possible service and value to Australian passengers.”
Virgin Australia, which has been a codeshare partner with the Gulf carrier since 2022, plans to launch flights from Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney to Doha as part of the agreement.
“These extra flights will open up more than 100 new connecting itineraries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Australian travellers,” Virgin Australia said. “The proposed wet lease services will begin in mid-2025, allowing Virgin Australia to assess the longer-term merits and viability of wide-body aircraft flying.”
Qatar Airways’ planned stake in the Australian carrier, which was rescued by Bain Capital after its bankruptcy during the pandemic, is the latest in a series of acquisitions the Gulf airline has made in recent years.
In August, the airline signed an agreement to acquire a 25 per cent stake in South African carrier Airlink as part of plans to expand its route network and boost passenger numbers across the African continent.
Qatar Airways' portfolio of minority shareholdings in global airlines includes British Airways' parent company International Airlines Group (IAG), Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific, Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines and Latam Airlines Group.
The Doha-based airline has also agreed to buy a 49 per cent stake in the East African airline RwandAir and in 2019 took a 60 per cent share in the new $1.3 billion Bugesera International Airport, south-east of the Rwandan capital Kigali.
The planned investment by Qatar Airways in Australia “will provide access to the critical scale and expertise” and the minority stake serves as a “cornerstone investment” ahead Virgin Australia’s return into public ownership.
The deal will “unlock new areas of co-operation with Virgin Australia, all of which will help to drive additional consumer and economic benefits”, the Australian airline said.
“This partnership brings the missing piece to Virgin Australia’s longer-term strategy and is a huge vote of confidence in Australian aviation. Importantly, it will further strengthen Virgin Australia’s ability to compete over the long term,” Virgin Australia group chief executive, Jayne Hrdlicka, said.
The proposed long-haul services between Australia and Doha are estimated to generate an economic benefit of A$3 billion ($2.07 billion) for the Australian economy through incremental visitor flows over the next five years, she said.
“Additional benefits will flow from increased freight capacity, supporting Australia’s high-value exports to markets such as the Middle East and Europe,” Ms Hrdlicka said.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
If you go
The flights
There are various ways of getting to the southern Serengeti in Tanzania from the UAE. The exact route and airstrip depends on your overall trip itinerary and which camp you’re staying at.
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Kilimanjaro International Airport from Dh1,350 return, including taxes; this can be followed by a short flight from Kilimanjaro to the Serengeti with Coastal Aviation from about US$700 (Dh2,500) return, including taxes. Kenya Airways, Emirates and Etihad offer flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Last five meetings
2013: South Korea 0-2 Brazil
2002: South Korea 2-3 Brazil
1999: South Korea 1-0 Brazil
1997: South Korea 1-2 Brazil
1995: South Korea 0-1 Brazil
Note: All friendlies
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
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