TRAVELPORT ENTERS NEXT PHASE OF ACCELERATED GROWTH AS AI RESHAPES TRAVEL DISTRIBUTION
Platform transformation drives double-digit EBITDA growth and positions Travelport as the backbone of AI-enabled travel retail.
New $50 million investment from shareholders to accelerate next phase of growth.
LONDON, March 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Travel distribution is undergoing a fundamental structural shift. As generative AI and intelligent agents reshape how consumers search, plan, and book, the industry's value chain is being redrawn. Without robust infrastructure, AI cannot move from inspiration to execution.
It is precisely this layer of infrastructure that Travelport has built. Travelport is evolving from a traditional GDS into the intelligence layer that powers AI-driven travel commerce. Operating in more than 160 countries and connecting a global network of travel buyers and suppliers, the company has completed a comprehensive platform transformation, unifying its operations onto a single, modernized technology stack.
At the core of this transformation is Travelport TripServices, the Company's modern, cloud-native travel API platform, built from the ground up to power the future of the travel industry. It is designed to simplify and accelerate how travel builders connect, launch, and scale innovative and AI-driven travel experiences across Travelport's extensive and rich content. API-driven transactions through Travelport TripServices continue to grow rapidly, reflecting increasing adoption by AI-native travel platforms and developers. Since 2022, segments booked via API by Travelport customers have jumped from 43% of all transactions to 63% today.
All of this is underpinned by Travelport's renowned customer service and support.
Accelerating Travelport's AI Strategy.
In 2025, Travelport delivered 12% EBITDA growth, from $303 million in 2024 to $339 million* in 2025, while capturing significant new business and growing share across key global markets. The company was also ranked first among 160 travel software providers in G2's December 2025 survey, reflecting improved service performance and product quality. With the platform unified and the financial foundations strong, shareholders have committed $50 million in new capital to accelerate the next phase of growth, expanding AI-enabled capabilities, deepening content supply, and scaling high-growth customer segments globally. The transaction closed on 20 March 2026.
John Mangelaars, incoming CEO of Travelport, said: "The work completed by the company has fundamentally changed what Travelport is capable of. We upgraded our platform, rebuilding our Travelport TripServices API suite from the bottom up, unified our operations, and delivered the performance our customers rely on.
"2025 marked a defining moment in that journey – the year we completed our transformation and began to demonstrate its full commercial potential. That foundation now allows us to innovate faster, embed intelligence directly into our workflows, and scale efficiently as booking volumes grow.
"We know from surveys and feedback that customers value our customer service and accessibility whether they are accessing our traditional distribution tools, or increasingly using our renowned API Travelport TripServices to build and customize their own travel tech tools using AI."
Strategic Priorities for the AI Era
As he formally assumes the role of CEO on 1 April, Mangelaars has outlined three strategic pillars to position Travelport at the centre of AI-driven travel retail. "Travelport's strategy is designed to win in an AI-first distribution landscape where speed, content normalization, and real-time connectivity are critical," he said.
1. AI-Enabled Customer Experience
Travelport is embedding intelligence across its platform to optimize search relevance, improve content ranking, and streamline agency workflows. Travelport TripServices is being enhanced to transform how sellers access and consume Travelport's rich content, enabling more intelligent, contextual conversations as they build out their own AI capabilities and workflows. As AI booking interfaces proliferate, Travelport's infrastructure ensures they can access normalized, enriched content and complete transactions seamlessly.
2. Expanding the Content Powerhouse
Travelport continues to strengthen multi-source content aggregation, including EDIFACT ancillaries, enriched NDC offerings, expanded low-cost carrier participation, and broader global hotel supply. A deeper, normalized content set increases monetization opportunities and enhances strategic relevance as AI agents demand comprehensive, structured supply.
3. A Scalable, Intelligent Platform
Travelport TripServices, the Company's modern API suite, simplifies integration and accelerates innovation for travel buyers and suppliers. As AI-driven booking volumes grow, Travelport TripServices enables real-time connectivity between AI interfaces and live inventory – reducing friction and optimizing performance at scale. In parallel, Travelport is expanding Smartpoint, its agent-facing software, with new AI functionality designed to drive agent productivity – enabling travel agents to handle greater booking volumes more efficiently and helping customers reduce the cost of service.
Positioned for Long-Term Growth
Travelport's momentum is building across both AI-native platforms and established global travel providers. Recent wins include the renewal and expansion of long-standing partnerships with AI-native travel platforms Sembo and Nuitee, and the addition of new customer Booked AI, alongside established agency partners Fox World Travel, ANA, and Air Canada, underscoring growing demand for multi-source, AI-ready distribution infrastructure. Separately, the company announced a landmark strategic partnership with United Airlines, reflecting a deeper and more transformative model of airline-GDS collaboration.
Mangelaars added: "We see significant potential for expansion across travel retail and are confident in Travelport's position within it. With a unified platform, differentiated content capabilities, and a global team of experts clearly focused on AI-enabled innovation, we are well positioned to support customers, deepen strategic partnerships, and drive sustainable growth as the industry evolves. As AI becomes the primary interface for travel, Travelport is ready to make it possible."
*FY25 EBITDA at constant currency.
About Travelport
Travelport is a multi-source content provider that powers bookings for hundreds of thousands of travel suppliers worldwide. Buyers and sellers of travel are connected by the company's next generation marketplace, Travelport+, which simplifies how brands connect, upgrades how travel is sold, and enables modern digital retailing. Ranked First from 160 Travel Software Suppliers (G2 Survey December 2025). Headquartered in London, United Kingdom, Travelport operates in more than 180 countries. For more information, visit www.travelport.com.
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