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Europe: Booking Holdings has lost its legal challenge against the European Commission’s decision to block its proposed €1.63 billion acquisition of flight booking company ETraveli Group.
The EU General Court upheld the Commission’s 2023 decision, which found that the acquisition could strengthen Booking’s dominant position in the online hotel accommodation market.
Regulators argued that acquiring ETraveli would help Booking develop a broader travel ecosystem by combining its accommodation business with flight booking services, making it more difficult for competing online travel agencies to attract customers.
The court rejected Booking’s claim that the Commission had applied the wrong legal standard and failed to follow its own merger rules.
The company is reviewing the judgment and may appeal to the European Court of Justice.
ETraveli owns flight booking brands Gotogate and Mytrip, as well as airline distribution technology provider TripStack. It is owned by private equity company CVC Capital Partners.
Booking Holdings’ portfolio includes Booking.com, Agoda, Priceline and Rentalcars.com.
Highlights
- The EU General Court has upheld the veto of Booking’s proposed ETraveli acquisition.
- Booking agreed to acquire ETraveli for €1.63 billion.
- Regulators found that the transaction could strengthen Booking’s position in online hotel distribution.
- ETraveli owns Gotogate, Mytrip and TripStack.
- Booking is considering an appeal to the European Court of Justice.
