EU court upholds EU antitrust veto of Booking's ETraveli deal
BKNG•EU court backs antitrust veto of Booking's ETraveli acquisition
BRUSSELS, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Europe's second-highest court on Wednesday sided with EU antitrust regulators which blocked Booking Holdings' €1.63 billion ($1.9 billion) ETraveli acquisition three years ago, as they rejected the U.S. online travel company's arguments.
The European Commission, in its 2023 decision, said the deal would have created a travel ecosystem for Booking, leaving rivals unable to compete.
The Luxembourg-based General Court agreed with the EU competition enforcer.
"The Commission found, correctly, that the acquisition of Etraveli Group, Europe’s leading online flight booking operator, would have strengthened Booking's already dominant position on the market for online travel agencies in the hotel sector," judges said.
The case is T-1139/23 Booking Holdings v Commission.
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