The U.S. Federal Trade Commission cleared Travelport's acquisition of competing global distribution system Worldspan, Travelport announced today.
The deal still requires clearance from the European Commission, which is expected to issue a final decision on the merger by Sept. 13. "Travelport is optimistic that the pending EC approval will be concluded in time to permit the transaction to close in the third quarter of 2007," the company today said in a statement.
The European Commission opened a detailed review of Travelport's acquisition of Worldspan under European Union merger regulations, noting that "the proposed transaction would give rise to competition concerns on the market for the provision of GDS services to travel service providers—airlines, car rental companies, hotels, etc.—in the European Economic Area and to travel agents in several member states
(BTNonline, May 14)."
Travelport CEO Jeff Clarke during the company's first-quarter earnings call noted that Amadeus is the largest GDS in Europe, as Travelport's Galileo and Worldspan are the second- and fourth-largest in the European Union.