Spanish technology firm Amadeus has agreed to buy Accenture subsidiary Navitaire, bringing together two travel IT giants in an $830m (£532m) deal.

Amadeus specialises in providing technology for the travel industry.

Navitaire works with more than 50 airlines - focusing on low-cost carriers - on IT support for areas such as reservations and loyalty programmes.

As part of the deal, 550 Navitaire employees, including senior management, are expected to move to Amadeus.

The firms said the deal should go through towards the end of this year.

"Airlines of all shapes and sizes face an increasingly competitive market for an increasingly demanding traveller, and this transaction will give us the ability to serve all airlines with technology that can enable them to drive new revenues and contain their costs," said Amadeus boss Luis Maroto.

Separately, Amadeus and Accenture agreed to form an alliance to help airlines to use technology to increase efficiency.

Source: BBC