Travel tech firms signs deals with Chinese airlines

Irish-based travel technology specialist Openjaw has won three contracts that it believes will give it a substantial foothold the fast-growing far eastern and Chinese markets.

Dublin-headquartered Openjaw produces software that runs websites from which people can buy plane tickets, book hotel rooms, hire cars and purchase other goods and services needed for travelling.

The company has recently signed up Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific and Hainan Airlines, one of China's biggest, as customers for its technology.

The contract with Cathay also includes its subsidiary Dragon Air, which is focused on mainland China where it is one of the country's best-known airlines, and one of the group's loyalty programmes, Asia Miles.

Ancillary products

Cathay and Dragon fly about 30 million passengers a year between them and serve close to 200 destinations. Openjaw managing director

Kieron Branagan

said the technology will allow the group to boost sales of ancillary products, such as hotel rooms, to its customers. Openjaw has also negotiated a contract with Hainan Airlines that will provide the Chinese company with a full travel retail package, including flights and hotels. Hainan is China’s fourth-largest airline and carries about 27 million passengers a year. One of China’s biggest private companies, it is part of HNA Holdings, a big player in the country’s travel and leisure industry.

Huge benefits

Openjaw already has a contract with Travelsky, a Chinese online travel agent and distributor similar to Sabre and Amadeus. Mr Branagan, said at the weekend that the deals with Cathay and Hainan are likely to deliver “huge” benefits to the company. “These links to Asia should give us a foothold in the world’s fastest growing market for travel,” he added.

He explained that recruiting the two airlines as customers would be an important reference point when it comes to selling its wares to other potential clients in the region.

Mr Branagan did not put a value on the contracts as the company will be paid on the basis of the number of transactions through its clients’ websites.

Openjaw employs 195 people in its offices in Dublin, Galway, Madrid in Spain, Krakow in Poland and Hong Kong. It had revenues last year of €16.5 million.

It is part of listed Canadian travel technology group, Guestlogix, which lost $6.6 million last year.