Chinese online travel giant Ctrip has agreed a deal to buy travel search platform Skyscanner for an estimated $1.7 billion.
Skyscanner said a definitive agreement with majority shareholders of UK based Skyscanner Holdings has been inked and Ctrip will make an offer for the remaining shares.
Skyscanner’s chief executive Gareth Williams said the deal is expected to close by the year end and Skyscanner will continue to operate as an independent entity with the current management in place.
"Skyscanner is one of the largest travel search platforms in the world. It will complement our positioning at a global scale," said Ctrip chairman James Liang.
