Saber and Amadeus remove Russian Aeroflot from ticket reservation systems
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March 3 (Reuters) – Travel booking software provider Saber Corp (SABR.O) said on Thursday it has ended its distribution agreement with Aeroflot (AFLT.MM), which has hurt the company’s ability Russian airline to sell tickets.
Spain’s Amadeus IT Group SA (AMA.MC) also began suspending distribution of the state-backed airline’s fares in its systems and said it had halted new business projects in Russia.
Saber said it was taking “immediate action” to remove Aeroflot flight content from its Global Distribution System (GDS), a marketplace used by travel agencies and corporations to book flights.
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GDS providers such as Amadeus and Saber use software networks to distribute airline tickets.
“We respect and will continue to respect the sanctions imposed on Russia,” said Saber general manager Sean Menke.
In response, Aeroflot said it would continue carrying passengers, the RIA news agency reported.
The agency quoted a spokesperson as saying Aeroflot worked with a number of other suppliers and had its own system that allowed sales agents to work directly with the airline,
Saber and Amadeus are the latest in a wave of companies to cut ties with Russian companies following broad sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. Read more
Saber also said he would assess whether more action was needed after taking into account legal considerations and any countermeasures that might be implemented in response.
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Reporting by Abhijith Ganapavaram in Bengaluru, Inti Landauro in Madrid and David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Aditya Soni, Devika Syamnath and Jonathan Oatis
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