Amadeus signs Distribution Agreement with 12 Member Airlines of Arab Air Carriers Organisation

Amadeus has been selected by Air Algérie, Afriqiyah Airways, EgyptAir, Etihad Airways, Kuwait Airways, Libyan Airlines, Qatar Airways, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Sudan Airways, Syrian Arab Airlines, Tunisair and Yemen Airways - from the Arab Air Carriers Organisation (AACO) - as their exclusive distribution partner in their respective home markets. Following the signing, the 12 airlines will each establish 10-year distribution agreements with Amadeus, which will be effective on 1st January, 2009.

These 12 leading airlines in the Middle East and North of Africa (MENA) account for around 66% of reservations made by travel agencies in the region.

Abdul Wahab Teffaha, Secretary General of Arab Air Carriers Organisation, said, “This agreement crowns almost 18 months of intensive negotiations with leading Global Distribution Systems (GDSs). AACO’s strategy is to achieve the best possible cost and value structure for the airline members partnering with a leading-edge technology provider who has a strong global presence. This is the fourth contract of its kind in the past 17 years but by far the largest in terms of the number of AACO airlines involved and it delivers greater value for the signing carriers.”

“The selection of Amadeus by 12 of our member airlines is a recognition of the synergy that these airlines, in partnership with Amadeus, will bring to the travel agents in our part of the world. Amadeus solutions will equip our member airlines with excellent tools to bring customer-oriented distribution technology to the travel agents, who continue to be very important and long-term partners in the travel value chain. Six member airlines,” added Abdul Wahab Teffaha, “who have for the past seven years had a successful partnership with Amadeus, will now be joined by six additional member airlines, once their current distribution partnership expires at the end of 2008.”

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