Jumia, Amadeus partner to launch flights marketplace in Africa

In commemoration of World Tourism Day 2018, Jumia is expanding its flights services, this time in partnership with Amadeus, a leading travel technology company. The partnership is the base for a new flights marketplace on Jumia that will be a step further towards making travel in Africa simple and affordable.

The platform aims at enabling travel agents, airlines, and travel websites to bring all flight content online, to offer customers the best available prices for their flights. Current statistics indicate that 90% of the flight market is still offline while only 10% exists online. This comes in the wake of increased flight bookings on Jumia’s flights portal, with explosive growth of 400% between July 2017 and July 2018.

“Jumia is continuously investing significantly in developing innovative products for travellers and flight content providers that will enable them to revolutionize their operations and increase revenue,” says Sérgio Figueiredo, Jumia’s Head of Flights. “We understand the market and address its needs. A competitive platform will harmonize all content providers to offer low rates and fees in a bid to meet an increasing traveler demand for unbeatable services at the lowest price,” he adds.

The marketplace will also provide analytical information that flight ticket providers can use to identify new opportunities, routes and help them tailor make packages for their flight target customers.

“We are delighted to be working with Jumia to deliver the online choice and marketplace experience that travelers love. Air travel is booming globally, with growth among passengers in Africa projected to outstrip that of every other region by 2035,” commented Francesca Benati, Executive Vice President for Online Travel in Western Europe, Middle East and Africa, Travel Channels, Amadeus.

Mrs Benati added, “To meet this growing demand, Jumia has selected Amadeus ePower delivered via Web Services, which offers a mobile and tablet-friendly online booking experience. It is designed to help consumers find the best deals faster, thanks to our market leading shopping and booking technology. I am excited about this winning partnership which will benefit travelers throughout Africa.”