Qatar Airways has announced plans to buy a 25% minority stake in Virgin Australia from its owner, US private equity firm Bain Capital.

Virgin Australia will soon be partly owned by Qatar Airways and begin flying to Doha as soon as mid-2025, pending regulatory approvals.Virgin confirmed the Gulf carrier’s intentions to take a 25 per cent stake in the Australian airline if approved by the Foreign Investment Review Board,

The stake will be acquired from Virgin Australia’s owner Bain Capital, the companies said in a joint statement

SYDNEY, Oct 1 — Qatar Airways unveiled a bid to take a 25 per cent stake in troubled airline Virgin Australia today, a deal that could shake up Australia’s

Virgin Australia could soon be part-owned by Qatar Airways, opening a major Australia to the Middle East route to the roster by mind-2025.

Virgin Australia says deal would increase competition with Qantas but consumer watchdog will need to scrutinise it. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Qatar Airways will buy a 25% stake in Virgin Australia from U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital, posing a tougher contest for Qantas Airways that has dominated Australian routes and pushed back against giving access to the Middle Eastern carrier.

Australia’s second-largest airline, Virgin Australia, said Middle Eastern carrier Qatar Airways plans to acquire a 25% stake, a key investment as the Bain Capital-owned carrier eyes an IPO.

Qatar Airways plans to take a 25% stake in Australia’s Virgin Australia Airlines Pty, expanding the Gulf carrier’s global network of equity holdings.

Qatar Airways will buy a 25% stake in Australia's No. 2 airline Virgin Australia from U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital, the companies said on Tuesday, as the Gulf carrier looks for access into Australian routes that the government denied last year.

The deal will see Qatar Airways buy a 25 per cent equity stake in Virgin Australia from private equity group Bain Capital, which bought the carrier originally set up by Sir Richard Branson out of administration during the pandemic.