Outgoing Virgin CEO Plays Down Qatar Stake Speculation

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 20: A Virgin Australia plane takes off from Sydney Airport on January 20, 2024 in Sydney, Australia. Transport Minister Catherine King signed off on a deal that will allow Turkish Airlines to start serving the Australian market, rising to 35 flights a week by 2025. The decision came as the government was under mounting criticism from many for a perception that it was protecting the profits of Qantas and stymying competition in the market by limiting additional capacity for other carriers, such as Qatar Airways. Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images

Aircraft delivery delays have added to Virgin Australia’s challenges, with outgoing CEO Jayne Hrdlicka describing the second half of the financial year as “super tough.”

But Hrdlicka played down speculation Qatar Airways was seeking a stake of up to 20 percent in the airline, saying “some creative fiction” had been written.