Chile's LATAM says Qatar Airways buys 10% stake

Arabian Business staff writer, January 1st, 2017

Chile's LATAM Airlines, Latin America's largest, said on Wednesday that Qatar Airways has completed its acquisition of 10% of the company, in a transaction worth $608.4 million.

LATAM announced in mid-July an agreement in which Qatar would buy 10% of the company via the issuance of new shares, with a payment of $10 per share.

In the final deal, Qatar purchased 60.8 million LATAM shares, the company said.

"The entrance of Qatar into the ownership (of LATAM) is an opportunity to develop a long-term relationship and explore new opportunities for connectivity with Asia and the Middle East," LATAM said in a statement.

The Qatar deal forced the Chilean Cueto family and the Brazilian Amaro family to modify the ownership structure of LATAM in September so as not to dilute their participation.

The company, founded in 2012 through a tie-up between Chile's LAN and Brazil's TAM, has reported significant losses in recent years amid a recession in Brazil.

That has caused a number of operational adjustments, including fleet reductions.