Qatar Airways yet to apply for its plan to set up 100-plane airline in India

Qatar Airways has not submitted application for setting up an airline in India, according to the civil aviation ministry.

Qatar Airways has not submitted application for setting up an airline in India, according to the civil aviation ministry. The leading Gulf carrier has announced plans to launch an airline in the country. To a query on whether Qatar Airways has submitted application for setting up an airline, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha replied in the negative.

“The government takes decision on the setting up of airlines subject to applicable laws/ regulations, security and other conditionalities related to air transport operation and FDI policy,” he said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

Last month, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker had said the airline plans to start an airline in India with at least 100 planes. It was in March 2017 that Baker first mentioned about its plans for a carrier in India. “I will not tell you what types of aeroplanes we will deploy in India but as you may remember we said that we will launch an airline in India which will have a fleet of at least 100 aircraft,” he had said on February 20.

The airline has been exploring investment opportunities in India, one of the fastest growing in the world. India has permitted foreign investors, barring foreign airlines, to own up to 100 per cent stake in local carriers