Amadeus and low-cost carrier easyJet have signed an enhanced distribution agreement which will deliver increased functionality and an improved easyJet booking process for all travel agents using Amadeus.

Catherine Lynn, director of customer and revenues, at easyJet, commented: “easyJet has made great gains in the European corporate travel market in recent years.

“We carried one million more business travellers last year than the year before and they now account for over 9 million annually.

“Now more agents and corporate travel buyers will be able to book with us and the improved functionality means it will also be easier for them to do so.

“This deal recognises the important role that GDS systems and travel management companies play in the corporate travel market and will enable us to capitalise on this in order to gain a larger market share.”

This latest contract between easyJet and Amadeus renews an important partnership which started in 2007 when Amadeus and easyJet signed a landmark distribution agreement making the airline’s inventory available to travel agencies using the Amadeus GDS.

Low-cost carriers continue to be an area of growth for Amadeus.

Low-cost carrier bookings from travel agencies using Amadeus increased by 18 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter.

This growth rate continues to support the recent trend, with the year-to-date figure for September increasing by 20 per cent year-on-year.

During this year Amadeus has already improved access to the content of an additional nine low-cost and hybrid carriers and 70 low-cost carriers are now bookable in the Amadeus system.

David Doctor, director, distribution marketing, Amadeus, said: “We are delighted with this new long-term agreement with easyJet and we look forward to enhancing our Amadeus Ticketless Access product to make it even easier for all our travel agencies to book easyJet flights.”

easyJet is considered Europe’s Leading Low-cost Airline by the World Travel Awards.