Sky's the limit for Qatar Airways as it pins hope on Indian market

The airline is pinning its hopes on the country's hyper-competitive domestic aviation market to see off global rivals Etihad and Emirates

When Qatar Airways announced a few months ago that it was not interested in buying the beleaguered Air India, which the government tried and failed to privatise, many read it as a sign of the Gulf carrier’s lack of interest in the country’s domestic aviation business. 

But last week, Qatar Airways Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker quelled any doubts about his ambitions with the announcement that the airline will launch a full-service carrier in India and file its application with the government soon.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the International Air Transport Association in