Travel technology partner Amadeus today announced that it continues its expansion into the Airport IT space with the acquisition of UFIS Airport Solutions, a leading airport information technology player.

The acquisition of UFIS Airport Solutions significantly enhances Amadeus’ existing position within the Airport IT industry. UFIS brings to Amadeus a complementary suite of airport technology solutions based on UFIS’ 25 years of unique Airport IT software development expertise, as well as a set of important customer relationships worldwide with specific emphasis on Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

Amadeus head of airport IT John Jarrell said: "This strategic acquisition accelerates our move into the Airport IT industry, confirming Amadeus as a key provider in this space, and emphasizing our commitment to this sector.

"There are numerous synergies between the two companies including very strong management and development teams in addition to innovation and customer focus. Together, we are well positioned to shape the future of travel for the airport industry which today stands at a business model crossroads, evolving more and more to become business-oriented service providers with passengers as their top priority."

UFIS Airport Solutions president and CEO Holger Mattig said:"The acquisition is very good news for our customers and employees worldwide who will now benefit from the addition of Amadeus’ scale, global reach, and travel industry expertise, a solid foundation to revolutionise the airport experience to meet the needs of today’s sophisticated travellers."

"We are confident that joining forces with this world class player will result in outstanding and comprehensive solutions for the airport community."

UFIS’ products and services offerings are complementary to Amadeus’ Airport IT product set, bringing specific expertise in the areas of Airport Operational Databases, Resource Management Systems, Flight Information Display Systems, Collaborative Decision Making tools and Hub Management solutions.

The majority of UFIS’ employees, including top management, are based in Singapore. The company has been providing integrated solutions for single, multi-terminal and multi-airport operations for the global airport community for more than two decades. UFIS Airport Solutions is an industry leader in enabling its customers to carry out collaborative airport management, an approach that perfectly fits Amadeus’ Airport IT strategy.

As a result of the transaction approximately 54 employees globally, including UFIS’ management team, will become part of Amadeus’ Airport IT Group.