Joint venture to launch GDS for Middle East
Etihad Airways and travel IT company Amadeus have teamed up to launch a GDS for travel companies in the Middle East.
The joint venture will offer the Amadeus Reservations System to agencies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Oman.
It will give agencies access to the full range of fares for 741 airlines, including Etihad, the national carrier for the UAE, 80,000 hotels, 17 cruise lines and 22 car rental companies.
The new system will be called Amadeus Gulf with Etihad taking a 51% holding in the venture.
Wayne Pearce, the airline's executive vp for strategy and planning, will be chairman and one of three Etihad appointed directors of the new company.
James Hogan, Etihad's ceo, said: "The launch of Amadeus Gulf signals Etihad's growing ambitions in the travel industry and ability to implement technology that will dramatically simplify the day-to-day business of travel companies and agents, and give a much wider choice of travel options for our customers."
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