The European arm of a new corporate travel management company (TMC) which aims to challenge the major players within two years was launched this week.
The new company, FCm Travel Solutions owned by the Australasia-based Flight Centre, has already been launched in the Asia Pacific and North America regions.
The roll out of the new company in eight countries across Europe will take place over the next three to four months, starting in the UK and Belgium on July 1. Ireland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia and Spain will follow.
Others, like Germany expected to be included later.
The UK arm, formerly Britannic Travel which has been trading as TQ3 UK since 2001, is the only agency fully-owned by FCm. It other European agencies are currently all partners.
Alan Spence, managing director of Britannic which was bought by Flight Centre in 2003, will be the new managing director of FCm Travel Solutions UK.
In Belgium, the Herfurth Travel Group will re-brand as FCm Travel Solutions Belgium; in Ireland, Corporate Travel Partners will re-brand, in Italy, Buon Viaggon, in Spain, Travelstore and in Russia, Russia Business Travel will also all re-brand.
Speaking at the launch in London, Mr Spence said: “Our aim is to become a world leader in corporate travel and expense management, delivering exceptional service, excellent value and measurable results.
“We aim to be in the top four global players within the next two years.”
To facilitate the new set up, Britannic is ending its licensee agreement with TQ3 Travel Solutions by mutual consent on June 30.
A statement by TQ3 Travel Solutions said: “The decision highlights that both Britannic and TQ3 have differing long term strategies, however the two companies share a number of multinational customers and will continue to serve uninterruptedly the needs of those joint customers in a mutually beneficial arrangement.”
Anthony Grigson, FCm's global executive general manager, told the London launch that the company which owns an agency in California was now negotiating to buy a New York based TMC.
The European launch which also includes the Middle East and Africa regions will give increase FCm representation to more than 50 countries.