Qatar Airways has bought a stake worth about 1.15 billion pounds ($1.7 billion) in the owner of British Airways and Iberia， aiming to forge closer links to agroup with two major European hubs and strong transatlantic networks.

　　卡達航空公司已斥資11.5億英鎊（約合17億美元）收購英國航空公司和西班牙伊比利亞航空公司的母公司部分股份，旨在加深與後者的合作關係，這家航空集團擁有兩家大型歐洲航空公司和發達的跨大西亞運輸網。（路透社）

　　The Gulf airline， which disclosed a 9.99 percent holding on Friday， already partners International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) in the one world alliance and has limited code-sharing deals and a freight partnership with BA.

　　位於海灣地區的卡達航空公司1月30日宣佈收購國際聯合航空公司（IAG）9.99%的股份。這兩家公司同為“寰宇一家”航空公司聯盟的成員，同時與英國航空公司簽有有限代碼共用協議並互為貨運合作夥伴關係。（路透社）

　　Qatar Airways， fully owned by the country’s sovereign wealth fund， has competed withregional rivals Emirates and Etihad Airways to become major global carriers. It joined oneworld in 2013， becoming the first Gulf airline to enter into a global alliance， which allows airlines to team up via code-sharing agreements to boostthe number of flights they offer.

　　卡達航空公司由卡達主權基金完全控股，其區域競爭對手包括阿聯酋航空公司和阿提哈德航空公司，三者同為全球大型航空公司。卡達航空2013年加入“寰宇一家”，成為第一家加入全球性航空公司聯盟的海灣地區航空公司。此類聯盟能使成員航空公司通過代碼共用協議開展合作，以增加航班供應量。（《海灣時報》）

　　The airline’s chief executive， Akbar al-Baker，said International Airlines Group “represents an excellent opportunity tofurther develop our westwards strategy.”

　　卡達航空首席執行官阿克巴·艾·貝克表示，IAG代表了“進一步發展我們西進戰略的絕佳機會”。（《環球郵報》）

　　The move represents something of a U-turn for Qatar Airways， as Baker has publicly criticised European carriers， saying earlier this month that they “cannot keep up” with competition from Gulf carriers.

　　此舉對卡達航空公司而言具有重大轉折意義，貝克此前曾公開批評，面對來自海灣地區航空公司的競爭，歐洲航空公司無法保持競爭力。（《環球郵報》）

　　Willie Walsh， IAG’s chief executive， said he was delighted Qatar had become a “long-term supportive shareholder”.Mr Walsh said his company would explore what “opportunities exist to work more closely together and further IAG’s ambitions as the leading global airlinegroup”.

　　IAG首席執行官威利·威爾士表示，很高興看到卡達航空成為能長期提供支援的股東。他還表示，IAG將尋求更為密切的合作機會，並進一步拓展其作為全球領先航空集團的雄心。（英國廣播公司）

　　Shares in IAG， which have risen 44 percent in the last three months， jumped to 590 pence in early trade， their highest since the group was formed four years ago.

　　IAG的股價在過去三個月裏累計上漲44%。1月30日早盤交易時段，該集團股價一度上漲至每股590便士，為該集團成立四年以來的最高水準。（路透社）

　　The two groups’ route networksare largely complementary， with Qatar strong in southeast Asia， India and theMiddle East， while Iberia flies to many destinations in South America.

　　這兩家航空公司的航線運輸網具有很大的互補性，卡達航空在東南亞、印度和中東的業務極具優勢，而IAG旗下的西班牙伊比利亞航空公司則擁有多條飛往南美的航線。（英國廣播公司）

　　Qatar’s national airline said it would look to strengthen commercial ties with the European company， and may consider increasing its stake over time， although it was not currently intending to exceed 9.99%.

　　卡達航空公司表示，將尋求加強與IAG的商業合作關係，未來可能考慮增持股份，但目前不打算超過9.99%這一份額。（《海灣時報》）

　　Non-European shareholders of IAG including Qatar Airways are subject to an overall cap on ownership， as a result of the requirement for EU airlines to be majority owned by EU shareholders.

　　根據歐盟航空公司必須由歐盟股東控股的規定，包括卡達航空在內的IAG非歐盟股東均受制于非控股份額的上限。（《海灣時報》）

　　（廖冰清 編譯）