Qatar Airways has taken a minority stake in JetSuite and, indirectly, JetSuiteX.
Qatar Airways joins JetBlue Airways, which will be increasing its investment, and a number of private investors as stakeholders in both companies.
With this investment in JetSuite, Qatar Airways will help fuel the growth of JetSuite’s private aviation business, which currently focuses on light and very light jets.
The investment extends to JetSuiteX, the sibling company to JetSuite, further accelerating the expansion of its acclaimed semi-private air service on the US West Coast and beyond.
JetSuiteX operates its fleet of Embraer 135 aircraft from private terminals in California and Nevada.
The Qatar Airways investment will enable faster expansion of this fleet and the ability to reach new destinations, including the potential to bring the semi-private model to additional US regions.
Qatar Airways Group chief executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to invest in such unique business 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.
“We believe that JetSuite and JetSuiteX deliver a truly class-leading service to the US 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 further supports Qatar Airways’ investment strategy, which already includes minority investments in several other international carriers, such as International Airlines Group, LATAM Airlines Group, Cathay Pacific and Air Italy.
“As an innovator in private aviation, we are proud to have attracted the attention of one of the world’s highest rated and fastest growing airlines,” said Alex Wilcox, founder, JetSuite and JetSuiteX.
“Qatar Airways shares our focus on customers and product.
“JetBlue and Qatar Airways together are a dream team of investors, and they will allow us to execute our vision of offering a superior service to the forgotten short haul US air market even more quickly.”