Dubai-based Dnata - the travel agency arm of the Emirates Group - has done a deal to buy leading UK online travel company Travel Republic.
The acquisition is one of Dnata’s biggest business transactions in the company’s 52 year history and will allow Dnata to capitalise on the ongoing boom in online travel booking.
Travel Republic is the UK's largest privately owned online travel agency, offering flights with some 100 airlines to 650 destinations worldwide and a choice of 120,000 hotels and servicing over two million customers a year. The company recently launched websites in Ireland, Spain and Italy and is on target to become one of the largest travel companies in Europe. It recorded an increase of over 40% in its annual turnover for 2011 to over £400 million as consumers increasingly turn to the web to book travel.
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The acquisition continues Dnata’s international expansion and also follows recent expansion into India.
"Travel Republic will complement our existing leisure and corporate travel services in Dubai and internationally,” said Iain Andrew, divisional senior vice president, Dnata. “The company has an impressive, dynamic management team and I am confident that together we can further develop the business, in line with the outstanding service and quality for which Dnata is renowned.”
Kane Pirie, managing director of Travel Republic added: “We are excited that Travel Republic has joined the Dnata family. Dnata is forward thinking and ambitious and will help accelerate our growth across Europe and beyond.”
The acquisition is effective from 28th December 2011, and the business will continue under the Travel Republic branding.
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