Travelport & Cognizant deepen partnership to boost global travel retailing

The strategic partnership spans three areas: technology transformation through AI-assisted engineering, business process transformation through workflow automation; and product innovation through embedding AI-native capabilities. 

Cognizant (NASDAQ: CTSH) and Travelport announced the next phase of their strategic partnership, committing to a single objective: making Travelport the first truly AI-native platform in global travel retailing. Together, Cognizant and Travelport will reportedly modernise platforms, engineering practices and operational workflows to create an AI-native ecosystem that enables faster innovation, greater efficiency and enhanced traveller experiences. The work has two connected dimensions: transforming how Travelport builds and operates its own technology and embedding AI directly into the products that airlines, agencies, and travellers use every day.

“What excites me is how much AI can change what our platform does for customers,” said John Mangelaars, Chief Executive Officer, Travelport. “Understanding a traveller's intent, resolving disruption before it reaches them, turning a complex itinerary into a confirmed booking in a fraction of the time it takes today, these are step changes for airlines, agencies and travellers, not incremental gains. That potential is what this work is for, we have always worked to reduce complexity for our customers and this is the next step on that journey.”

“We have invested substantially in AI, in our platforms, our engineering tooling and our people, and the real measure of that investment is what it makes possible for clients,” said Ravi Kumar S, Chief Executive Officer, Cognizant. “With Travelport, we are putting those capabilities to work on infrastructure the global travel industry depends on. Combining our AI investments with their platform and domain strength is how AI capability becomes commercial advantage.”

The strategic partnership spans three areas: technology transformation through AI-assisted engineering, business process transformation through workflow automation; and product innovation through embedding AI-native capabilities. Cognizant teams will engage with Travelport across 18 countries, delivered through Cognizant’s AI Builder approach. Looking ahead, the companies plan to continue expanding platform modernisation efforts and bring new AI-powered capabilities to Travelport’s customers worldwide.