An announcement made by the Chief Executive of RwandAir, Yvonne Makolo, reveals that Qatar Airways is set to solidify its position as the primary shareholder of the national carrier of Rwanda by July.
In a statement to the Financial Times over the weekend, Makolo shared this significant update.
“The discussions have been ongoing for almost five years. We are now approaching the final stages,” Makolo noted.
During this five-year period, Qatar and Rwanda have been diligently negotiating a deal that would grant the Gulf nation’s airline a substantial 49 percent ownership stake in RwandAir, with the exact value remaining undisclosed.
While Qatar Airways opted not to provide comments, RwandAir has yet to respond to requests for further details regarding this development.
Earlier this year, CEO of Qatar Airways, Badr Mohammed Al Meer, hinted at an upcoming investment in a carrier in southern Africa.
Notably, in 2019, Qatar Airways acquired a 60 percent share in a new $1.3 billion international airport project in Rwanda and has established codeshare agreements with various African airlines, including RwandAir.