Rebuffed by American Airlines, Qatar Airways buys into Cathay Pacific

Tuesday, 7 November 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

DUBAI/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Qatar Airways has broadened its global reach by purchasing a 9.61% stake in Cathay Pacific, adding another strategic investor to the Hong Kong carrier’s complicated share register at a time when it is looking to cut costs.

Hong Kong’s Kingboard Chemical Holdings said it had sold the stake to Qatar Airways for HK$5.16 billion ($661 million), making the Middle Eastern carrier the third-largest shareholder in Cathay.

For Cathay, the Qatar stake will give it a third strategic shareholder behind Swire Pacific Ltd and Air China Ltd , potentially complicating a restructuring plan aimed at slashing HK$4 billion in costs over three years. Without domestic flights to underpin earnings, Asian carriers Cathay and Singapore Airlines Ltd have struggled against Chinese and Middle Eastern rivals, with Cathay already shedding 600 jobs since May.

For state-owned Qatar Airways, its first major stake in an Asian airline will allow it to boost its global influence and potentially increase traffic through its Doha hub, amid the worst political crisis in years among the Gulf Arab states.

The airline has been unable to fly to the previously lucrative markets of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia as part of an airspace rights dispute with neighbours, and has been looking to invest elsewhere to broaden its reach.

It was rebuffed by American Airlines Group Inc earlier this year.

Despite Cathay’s troubles, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker described it as “one of the strongest airlines in the world ... with massive potential for the future”.

Cathay shares have risen by 29.4% since the start of January despite the airline in August posting its worst first-half loss in 20 years. Swire Pacific owns 45% of Cathay and Air China 30%. Air China said on Monday that it viewed Qatar Airways’ purchase of the Cathay stake “positively” and that it hoped the shareholders could work together to find synergies.

Will Horton, a Hong Kong-based senior analyst at CAPA Centre for Aviation, said that while Qatar Airways’ investment in Cathay was likely to be passive, difficulties could arise if they tried to better integrate their hubs. Cathay flew between Hong Kong and Qatar Airway’s Doha hub as part of a codeshare arrangement between 2014 and 2016, when the route was axed “for commercial reasons”.