Galileo International was founded in 1971 as Chicago-based United Airlines introduced the Apollo® computer reservation system (CRS), for use in their own offices to automate seat reservation, booking and tracking. Five years later, United created the Apollo Travel Services (ATS) division, and the Apollo CRS was marketed to travel agencies in North America and Japan.
In 1986 Apollo Travel Services, was renamed Covia, and became an independent affiliate of United Airlines. In response to the growing need for CRS automation in Europe, The Galileo Company Ltd was incorporated by shareholders British Airways, Swissair, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Alitalia and Covia. In the U.S., United Airlines sold 50 percent of Covia to USAir, British Airways, Swissair, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Alitalia, creating the Covia Partnership. Three years later, Air Canada, Austrian Airlines, Aer Lingus, TAP Air Portugal, Sabena and Olympic Airways became Covia's final eleven airline owners.
In 1997, Galileo International became a publicly traded company, listed on the New York and Chicago Stock Exchanges. Four years later, in October 2001, Galileo was acquired by Cendant Corporation, forming the cornerstone of Cendant Travel Distribution Services Group, Inc. (which changed its name to Travelport Inc. in April 2006). On August 23, 2006, Cendant Corporation sold Travelport Inc. to an affiliate of The Blackstone Group.
Galileo International is one of the world’s leading providers of electronic global distribution services, connects approximately 49,000 travel agency locations to 425 airlines, 21 car rental companies, 70,000 hotel properties, and a wide array of tour operators and cruise lines throughout the world.