Qatar Airways, one of the largest airline groups in the world, is negotiating to take as much as a 20 per cent stake in Virgin Australia in a deal that, if successful, would dramatically shake up the country’s aviation industry.

Qatar Airways is owned by the Qatari government and has already partnered Virgin as both carriers face down Australia’s dominant airline, Qantas. Bain Capital, which owns Virgin, has been forced to delay a move to list the company on the ASX.