Qatar Airways aims to start buying American Airlines shares ‘soon’

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A Qatar Cargo Boeing 777F plane and an American Airlines Airbus 321 prepare for take off at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar al-Baker said on Thursday the Doha-based carrier would soon start buying shares in American Airlines “depending on the share price.”

The state-owned company notified American Airlines last month that it was interested in buying up to 10 percent of its shares.

Al-Baker told reporters in Dublin that Qatar Airways would buy up to 4.75 percent, despite a cool response given last month by the American Airlines CEO to its plan, once it has regulatory approval.