Travelport has acquired Galileo Southern Africa from South African Airways (SAA), and plans to combine it with its regional Worldspan operation.
SAA had been operating Galileo Southern Africa for the past 20 years.
A new entity will be called Travelport Southern Africa, and will include the Worldspan operation Travelport set up for travel agents in South Africa two years ago.
As part of the deal, Travelport entered into a five-year, full content agreement that provides all Travelport-connected agents with full access to SAA’s published fares and inventory, and guarantees parity with other distribution channels.
“We now feel the time is right to extend our Travelport operations in the region and provide Galileo-connected travel agents in Southern Africa with the same direct distribution relationship that we provide to our Worldspan subscribers," Mark Meehan, managing director for Travelport Africa, said in a statement.
"This change to our business model will enable us to work directly with all our local customers in the region to roll out relevant new GDS services and technology."
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