Onyx Investments Ltd, part of the state-owned Oman Investment Fund, has reportedly taken a 15 per cent stake in German container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd, the world's fifth-largest container shipping line, according to Exim News Service.

The stake has been purchased from the nearly 50 per cent of Hapag-Lloyd owned by TUI AG, Europe's leading travel group. Mr Klaus-Michael Kuehne, majority owner of logistics group Kuehne & Nagel, part of the Albert Ballin investor group which owns 50.2 per cent of Hapag-Lloyd, was also involved in the negotiations, it is learnt.

TUI has for long wanted to spin off Hapag-Lloyd from its core travel and tourism business. It had last month again deferred a decision on listing the company after the earthquake in Japan and the political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa upset markets.

It has also been reported that HNA—China's fourth-largest airline group—was interested in buying a stake of up to 15 per cent in Hapag.