Airbnb, the online accommodation portal, has signalled its intention to move into the transport market by appointing a top executive to lead the move. The US company, which has its international headquarters in Dublin, has appointed former Virgin America airline chief executive, Fred Reid, as its new global head of transportation. Mr Reid’s departure is a high-profile loss for that company, which has yet to launch its hotly anticipated electric flying vehicles. It’s also a signal that Airbnb may be taking flights more seriously than previously thought. In the meantime, Booking Holdings , now an $88.3 billion company, as well as a host of other growing internet travel services, looms large in an already crowded industry.

Source: The Irish Times February 07, 2019 18:07 UTC