Etihad Airways and Sabre Airline Solutions have signed a ten-year technology deal worth more than a billion US dollars, providing the airline access to integrated software across reservations, inventory, marketing, planning, eCommerce, distribution and departure control operations.

The Sabre software is expected to significantly reduce the airline’s technology costs and streamline processes when implemented in early 2013, allowing for exponential growth across its network.

“It will be the single largest technology-enabled business change that Etihad Airways will undertake in a decade,” Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer, James Hogan said.

Sabre won the bid after an “exhaustive selection process”, which also includes a multi-year, full content distribution of Etihad’s flight and scheduling information in real time for Sabre-connected travel agents worldwide.

“This integrated approach not only gives us cost certainty, but creates efficiencies of scale. We are fortunate to be in a position, unlike legacy carriers, to be able to implement this software across the board,” Mr Hogan said.

Etihad also plans to market and sell products and services via Sabre’s global distribution system.