Why Qatar Airways Was Unable To Prevent Air Italy Heading Into Liquidation

Why Qatar Airways Was Unable To Prevent Air Italy Heading Into Liquidation

Qatar Airways has suffered the first significant reversal in its strategy of buying up minority stakes in other airlines after one of its investments, Air Italy, announced it was to stop flying this month.. Qatar Airways bought its minority stake in September 2017, in what at the time was called Meridiana.. After posting a loss of €40 million ($43.6 million) in 2017, Air Italy saw its losses jump to €160 million the following year and an anticipated €230 million in 2019, according to Alisarda.. Qatar's shareholding in Air Italy has at times been a source of tension with major US carriers, who complained the Gulf carrier was using Air Italy to break the spirit of a bilateral aviation agreement between the U.S. and Qatar - something Qatar Airways always denied..