Qatar Airways not to privatise for next 10 years: al-Baker

Al-Baker during Qatar Airways’ media event in Doha yesterday. The national carrier made a “very handsome profit” in the financial year that ended in March 2014, he said.By Pratap John/Chief Business ReporterQatar Airways has decided not to go in for privatisation for the next 10 years at least, said the Group CEO Akbar al-Baker. “Qatar Airways will not currently privatise. We were going to privatise when the economic recession happened in 2008 … and we have now decided (on the board-level of Qatar Airways) that we will not go for privatisation for the next 10 years at least,” al-Baker said in Doha yesterday.Qatar Airways is the country’s national carrier.The country’s sovereign wealth fund had earlier bought out the stakes in the national airline owned by private shareholders, making Qatar Airways a fully government-owned entity.Al-Baker said the airline made “very handsome profit” in the financial year that ended in March 2014. “Our current financial year only ends in three months’ time. So, I will not be able to give you the results of Qatar Airways current financial year,” he said.Airline data show Qatar Airways flew more than 22mn passengers in 2013-14. In the 2003-04 financial year, the airline carried 3.3m passengers, up 35% on the previous 12-month period. During the 2004-05 financial year, passenger numbers rose sharply to 4.6mn, while the figure topped 6mn in the 12-month 2005-06 financial period. The figure surpassed the 8mn passenger mark for the 2006-07 financial year and hit around 10mn passengers for the 2007-08 period.The airline exceeded 12mn passengers for the 2008-09 financial year. In the financial year 2009-10, the airline exceeded 14mn passengers. During the 2010-11 financial year, Qatar Airways carried over 16mn passengers worldwide, rising to over 17mn passengers in 2011-12, and surpassing 18mn during the 2012-13 period. The airline’s cargo division has more than 40 dedicated freighter routes to destinations within its global operations, including those not served by scheduled passenger flights – Amsterdam, Liege, Atlanta, Luxembourg, Sialkot and Zaragoza.From Qatar Airways’ hub in Doha, the airline has developed a global network of some 146 destinations, covering Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Asia Pacific, North America and South America with a modern fleet of more than 140 passenger and cargo aircraft. From only four aircraft in 1997, Qatar Airways will grow to a fleet size of more than 170 aircraft covering global network of destinations that will also increase to over 170.Qatar Airways has one of the industry’s youngest fleets with an average aircraft age under four years. The fleet includes several different Airbus and Boeing aircraft types – the long-range Boeing 777 passenger and freighter aircraft, the new Boeing 787, Airbus A340, A330, A350, A380, A300F freighter, A321, A320 and A319. The latter A319 includes a corporate jet version.With the recent delivery of the A350 XWB aircraft, Qatar Airways has became the first airline in the world to operate every family of Airbus’ modern portfolio, comprising the A320, A330, A340, A350 and A380.