QATAR AIRWAYS is planning a public flotation (IPO) "sometime between 2013 and 2015", according to chief executive Akbar Al Baker.
Speaking in India at a ceremony to formally launch the Bangalore route introduced earlier this year, he revealed the IPO would follow three continuous years in the black. Although special provisions had seen the airline dip into the red last year, it was again in the black for the 2009/10 financial year. "We have forecast to continue this positive trend over the next three years," he added.
Meanwhile, the airline is planning a 20 per cent increase in capacity this year, with the introduction of new aircraft, new routes and increased frequencies. New routes include Tokyo, Barcelona (June 7), Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires (both starting on June 24).