Travel Data Firm OAG Buys to Add Air Fare Info

Travel industry data platform OAG has announced the acquisition of Infare, which provides competitor air travel data, from Ventiga Capital in a deal valuing the combined entity at more than US$500m.

Formed in 1929 and headquartered in the UK, OAG boasts the world's largest network of flight information, covering the whole journey from planning to customer experience. Customers include airlines, airports, travel technology players, aviation service providers, government agencies, financial institutions and consultancies. The firm also has operations in the USA, Singapore, Japan, China and Lithuania.

Infare provides airlines with competitor air travel data, delivered daily, multiple times a day or live, to help with business decisions - notably pricing. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Copenhagen. The combination, which the firms say will be better able to serve airline partners and the wider travel ecosystem with high-quality data and innovative solutions, will have more than 300 employees across ten offices worldwide.

Both management teams will continue in the Group and will retain a shareholding, with fresh backing provided by Vitruvian Partners.

OAG CEO Phil Callow comments: 'The increasing dynamism in global travel and technology is fuelling a need for more sophisticated, granular data to understand, manage and unlock growth in air travel. The acquisition of Infare strengthens our ability to deliver consistent and accurate information across the wider supply and demand value chain'. Nils Gelbjerg-Hansen, CEO of Infare, adds: 'Airlines rely on data to gain valuable insights into customer behaviour, market trends, and operational efficiency. Our technology platform, data sets, and intelligence software complement OAG's and will greatly benefit our customers worldwide'.

Web sites are at www.oag.com and www.infare.com .