Travelport, the business services provider to the travel industry and Ethiopian Airlines have announced the renewal of their long-term Operator Agreement, which will see the flag carrier of Ethiopia continue to distribute Travelport’s Galileo products and services in the country.

The exclusive five-year agreement cements the longstanding relationship between Travelport and Ethiopian Airlines and underlines the strategic importance of this east Africa region. According to Travelport figures, Ethiopia represents one of the fastest growing Global Distribution Systems (GDS) industries in Africa, demonstrating a 24% year-on-year growth (2011 to 2012).

As a result of the new deal, Galileo customers in Ethiopia will continue to benefit from Ethiopian Airlines’ regional expertise and Travelport’s latest products and solutions including Travelport Smartpoint – the next generation booking tool, which has already gained great popularity among travel agents across the Middle East and Africa.

“Since starting our operations in Ethiopia in 1997, Travelport has always maintained a strong position here, and this part of Africa remains a highly significant area of investment for us,” said Mark Meehan, Managing Director for Travelport, Africa. “We now look forward to building on our successful relationship with Ethiopian Airlines, bringing new top of the range Travelport products and services to our customers, and continuing to growTravelport presence in this important part of the world.”

“Ethiopian Airlines has always enjoyed a successful partnership with Travelport and we look forward to working closely in launching new products and services for travel agents in the country”, said Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO, Ethiopian Airlines. “Together, Travelport and Ethiopian Airlines will continue to deliver a winning combination of leading technology and regional expertise to benefit the travel agent community in Ethiopia.”