Fitch: Qatar Airways strategy shows trend to closer airline ties

Qatar Airways’ potential purchase of a stake in American Airlines signals that equity stakes are gaining momentum as an option for global tie-ups in the airline industry, given the restrictions on foreign ownership, Fitch Ratings says. The unsolicited nature of the approach is unusual, but follows a string of minority acquisitions in other airlines by Delta, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, American Airlines and United Airlines. Acquiring equity stakes can be positive for an airline’s business profile by broadening its network, which is a key differentiating factor, especially when the competition with low-cost carriers is shifting to long haul, where most