QR Looking at Buying who?
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QR Looking at Buying who?
If QR are in talks with 2 airlines over investment interest of buying equity into one of them,
which airline could it be?
Can anyone out there speculate?
Would it be a close neighbouring airline?
What are your thoughts?
Where is Mr. Albaker heading on this issue?
which airline could it be?
Can anyone out there speculate?
Would it be a close neighbouring airline?
What are your thoughts?
Where is Mr. Albaker heading on this issue?
Join Date: May 2002
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If I were a "speculating" type........
BG and SD.........
Both of these airlines are certainly in need of injection of foreign equity and both possess some valuable (and a few un-used) slots across their current European networks in particular.
QR's decision to participate in these carriers would enable QR to gain access to various airports currently unserved by QR.
However, unless a complete re-branding is carried out and the QR name or logo is parallely applied then the marketing potential would be lost.
QR already has healthy loads on routes from Doha to the hubs of these two carriers.
My thoughts......
......the old saying of "learning to walk before you can run" springs to mind!!!
Sure, QR (rather the Qatar Government) has sufficient finance to take equity stakes - if not buy out - these ailing carriers. But surely there is some merit in QR getting its own house in order before expansion of this nature.
Maybe in a few years from now, when QR itself will be more established amongst world carriers.
But I still get the horrible feeling that QR have spent $$$$$Millions on developing what is an excellent onboard product. However, they have only spent 45 cents in promoting and marketing it.
Buying out Sudan Airways or Biman Bangladesh would wash all that away negatively.......
BG and SD.........
Both of these airlines are certainly in need of injection of foreign equity and both possess some valuable (and a few un-used) slots across their current European networks in particular.
QR's decision to participate in these carriers would enable QR to gain access to various airports currently unserved by QR.
However, unless a complete re-branding is carried out and the QR name or logo is parallely applied then the marketing potential would be lost.
QR already has healthy loads on routes from Doha to the hubs of these two carriers.
My thoughts......
......the old saying of "learning to walk before you can run" springs to mind!!!
Sure, QR (rather the Qatar Government) has sufficient finance to take equity stakes - if not buy out - these ailing carriers. But surely there is some merit in QR getting its own house in order before expansion of this nature.
Maybe in a few years from now, when QR itself will be more established amongst world carriers.
But I still get the horrible feeling that QR have spent $$$$$Millions on developing what is an excellent onboard product. However, they have only spent 45 cents in promoting and marketing it.
Buying out Sudan Airways or Biman Bangladesh would wash all that away negatively.......
Join Date: Apr 2002
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What A300Man said is not speculation but bids were really submitted by QR to Sudan Airways and Biman Bangladesh.
The bid to buy equity in Biman Bangladesh was submitted a few years ago and as far as I have been told not much progress happened. The Sudan Airways bid is more serious and a Qatari team has already visited KRT to discuss the matter. Al-Jazeera said that the winner of the bid to privatise Sudan Airways will be anounced by the end of the year but knowing it is Sudan you know how slow things can go. Also the consulting firm valued Sudan Airways at about US$ 20 million (According to Al-Jazeera) and the Sudanese government are trying to increase the value of Sudan Airways before selling equity.
IMO the arrangement will be very succesful but BG will be better than Sudan because of the market, geographical location and Bangladesh is more politicaly stable than Sudan Airways. QR will probably make Sudan Airways concentrate on Africa and the Middle East and "hand-over" all the Sudan-Europe and Sudan-Asia market to QR.
As many of you already know the aquisition of Air Lanka (now SriLankan Airlines) by Emirates was a big succes because EK took a lot of UL's Sri Lanka-Europe passengers and made UL fly to the destinations in Europe where EK sees a lot of risk such as Berlin and Scandinavia. At the same time UL had instant access to more European, African and Middle Eastern destinations through EK.
I agree with you totally. QR has poor brand awareness in Europe and Asia especially when compared to EK and GF. Many people also have poor perceptions of QR thinking of them as using old aircraft from the 70's, poor onboard service, old seats with poor seat pitch in F and J and the most common perception is that QR is a dry airline.
So if they want the airline they aquire equity in to be succesful they need to rebrand it, integrate it with QR with things like booking and FF program but the keyword is marketing not only for SD or BG but for QR also.
The bid to buy equity in Biman Bangladesh was submitted a few years ago and as far as I have been told not much progress happened. The Sudan Airways bid is more serious and a Qatari team has already visited KRT to discuss the matter. Al-Jazeera said that the winner of the bid to privatise Sudan Airways will be anounced by the end of the year but knowing it is Sudan you know how slow things can go. Also the consulting firm valued Sudan Airways at about US$ 20 million (According to Al-Jazeera) and the Sudanese government are trying to increase the value of Sudan Airways before selling equity.
IMO the arrangement will be very succesful but BG will be better than Sudan because of the market, geographical location and Bangladesh is more politicaly stable than Sudan Airways. QR will probably make Sudan Airways concentrate on Africa and the Middle East and "hand-over" all the Sudan-Europe and Sudan-Asia market to QR.
As many of you already know the aquisition of Air Lanka (now SriLankan Airlines) by Emirates was a big succes because EK took a lot of UL's Sri Lanka-Europe passengers and made UL fly to the destinations in Europe where EK sees a lot of risk such as Berlin and Scandinavia. At the same time UL had instant access to more European, African and Middle Eastern destinations through EK.
But I still get the horrible feeling that QR have spent $$$$$Millions on developing what is an excellent onboard product. However, they have only spent 45 cents in promoting and marketing it.
So if they want the airline they aquire equity in to be succesful they need to rebrand it, integrate it with QR with things like booking and FF program but the keyword is marketing not only for SD or BG but for QR also.
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Having recently been at Dhaka Airport, I think that QR must re-think their decision to get involved with the airline.
The airport is a mess......complete mess.
The hardstands and taxiways are in dire need of upgrading. (Some of the taxiways appear so tight that an aircraft exiting the active can take up to 25 minutes to reach stand!!!!! And thats without having to wait for another aircraft to vacate the stand).
Point is, if QR want to get involved with the airline (Biman), then they must also give SERIOUS consideration to the condition of the airport and the upgrading of the same.
Anyone care to comment about Khartoum? Never been in daylight.
The airport is a mess......complete mess.
The hardstands and taxiways are in dire need of upgrading. (Some of the taxiways appear so tight that an aircraft exiting the active can take up to 25 minutes to reach stand!!!!! And thats without having to wait for another aircraft to vacate the stand).
Point is, if QR want to get involved with the airline (Biman), then they must also give SERIOUS consideration to the condition of the airport and the upgrading of the same.
Anyone care to comment about Khartoum? Never been in daylight.
