Datalex in €3.6m deal with Brussels Airlines

Datalex, the travel software firm backed by businessman Dermot Desmond, has recruited Lufthansa subsidiary Brussels Airlines as its latest customer in a deal valued at €3.6 million.

The Dublin-listed company is announcing today that Brussels Airlines has chosen its travel distribution platform to support online ticket sales and other products.

The deal is understood to be worth $5 million (€3.6 million) and it is the second major customer win announced by Datalex this year.

Chief executive Aidan Brogan said the agreement was another example of Datalex successfully executing its marketing strategy and would help support the growth plan it announced last week.

Dividend

The news comes days after the company reported that it earned profits of €1.1 million in 2013 and planned to pay its first ever dividend – two cents a

share – prompting a 5.4 per cent surge in its share price.

The company reported an 18 per cent increase in total revenue to €27.5 million for 2013. It forecast that a rise in the number of customers will drive up sales by 18 per cent to 20 per cent.

Datalex is headquartered in Dublin and has offices across Europe and the United States. It has been in business since 1985. Customers include Aer Lingus, Delta Airlines, JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia.

Brussels Airlines operates a fleet of 43 aircraft and employs 3,500 people from its base at Brussels Airport. Its network is made up of more than 60 main European, US and African airports.

The carrier is part of German group Lufthansa and is a member of the global Star Alliance airline network.

Xavier Lagardere, vice-president for online retail and distribution at Brussels Airlines, said Datalex's software would power an internet sales site it plans to launch this year.