Story ID: 
Qatar Airways To Invest in JetSuite
By: Gregory Polek
Caption: Gulf airline joins JetBlue Airways and private investors in fueling  the future of private and semi-private aviation.
Word Count: 263
Qatar Airways has taken a minority stake in U.S. private aviation company JetSuite, the companies announced Tuesday. With the investment, Qatar joins JetBlue Airways and several private investors as a stakeholder in JetSuite and its sibling company, JetSuiteX.

JetSuite expects the investment to fuel the growth of its private aviation business, now built around light and very light jets. It also expects it to further accelerate the expansion of its semi-private air service on the U.S. West Coast and beyond by increasing the capital base of Embraer ERJ-135 operator JetSuiteX, which fills a niche in underserved short-haul markets and small airports. JetSuiteX operates its fleet of regional jets from private terminals in California and Nevada at a price comparable to that of commercial travel. The Qatar investment will allow faster expansion of the ERJ-135 fleet and provide the ability to reach new destinations.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to invest in such unique businesses as JetSuite and JetSuiteX; we believe that both businesses are complementary to Qatar Airways business and maintain the core values and customer focus of our own business,” said Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker. “We believe that JetSuite and JetSuiteX deliver a truly class-leading service to the U.S. market with a huge potential for development, and we are very excited to invest in this opportunity alongside JetBlue and the other investors.”

This investment supplements Qatar Airways’ investments in several other international carriers, such as International Airlines Group, LATAM Airlines Group, Cathay Pacific, and Air Italy.