The Sabre Corporation plans significant recruitment in the UK as it expands in Europe and the Middle East following the signing of “new major agencies” in the UK, France and Spain and “several multi-year renewals” of contracts.
Sabre declined to give details of the new agency signings, but the travel technology provider is looking to recruit for 70 new positions in Europe and the Middle East, 21 of them in the UK in account management, business development, sales and marketing, management and training.
The US-based company, which operates one of the three major global distribution systems (GDSs), is also seeking six recruits in France, six in Germany, six in Spain and 15 in Poland, as well as looking to fill positions in Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Bahrain.
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The expansion comes after Sabre reported second-quarter results at the start of August which “exceeded expectations, driven by solid revenue growth” across both the company’s travel and hospitality divisions.
Sabre president and chief executive Kurt Ekert noted “key commercial wins in the quarter”.
The company reported a net loss of $70 million for the three months to June compared with a loss of $129 million the previous year, and a loss of $141 million for the first half of 2024 – an improvement from a $234-million loss in the first half of 2023.
Sabre’s revenue was up 4% year on year to $767 million in the quarter and up 5% to $1.55 billion for the half year.
This was despite a 1% fall year on year in flight bookings to 76 million in the April-to-June quarter, although total bookings were up 1% to 91 million.
There was a 2% drop year on year to 169 million in the number of passengers boarding flights with carriers using Sabre technology.
However, the falls in comparison to the same quarter in 2023 appear to reflect the fact that Easter this year fell at the end of March, in the first quarter.
Sabre’s air bookings and passengers boarded in the first six months of this year were on a par with 2023.
The company’s hospitality IT revenue rose 9% year on year in the quarter to $83 million and by 8% to $162 million for the half year.