Who Owns Skyscanner Ltd.?

Skyscanner was founded in 2003 in Edinburgh, Scotland, by Gareth Williams, Barry Smith, and Bonamy Grimes. The idea emerged from Williams' frustration with finding affordable flights for ski trips. The founders built a basic flight comparison tool that searched a small number of airlines and travel sites. The initial platform was simple but addressed a genuine consumer need: transparent price comparison across multiple booking sources.

The company grew steadily through the 2000s. Skyscanner expanded its coverage from UK and European flights to global flight search, adding airlines and online travel agencies as partners. The platform's appeal was straightforward: users could see prices from multiple sources in one place without visiting each airline or booking site individually. This convenience drove user growth, particularly in Europe where budget airlines like Ryanair and easyJet had created a complex pricing landscape.

Skyscanner raised venture capital funding in several rounds. Investors included Sequoia Capital, Octopus Ventures, and Baillie Gifford. The company used the funding to expand internationally, opening offices in Singapore, Miami, and other cities. By the early 2010s, Skyscanner had become one of the most popular travel search platforms in Europe and was gaining traction in Asia-Pacific markets.

The company expanded beyond flights in the 2010s, adding hotel and car rental comparison features. This diversification reduced Skyscanner's dependence on a single product category and increased average revenue per user. The company also invested in mobile technology, recognizing that an increasing share of travel research and booking was happening on smartphones.

In November 2016, Trip.com Group (then known as Ctrip) acquired Skyscanner for approximately £1.4 billion. The acquisition was part of Ctrip's strategy to build a global travel platform, extending its reach beyond the Chinese market. Skyscanner continued to operate as an independent brand under Trip.com Group ownership, maintaining its Edinburgh headquarters and European management team.

Under Trip.com Group ownership, Skyscanner has continued to grow. The company benefited from Trip.com Group's resources and technology infrastructure while retaining operational autonomy. Monthly users grew from approximately 100 million in the late 2010s to over 160 million by 2025. Revenue at the UK entity grew 24 percent in 2025 to £540.6 million.

In 2025, Skyscanner was the launch partner for OpenAI's ChatGPT Operator and rolled out ChatGPT Enterprise across its business. The company also published its Horizons travel outlook report in October 2025, analyzing global travel search and demand data. In 2025, Skyscanner saw double-digit growth across flights, hotels, and cars, including an 11 percent increase in flight searches.

In 2026, Skyscanner acquired a 60 percent stake in Longtail, a US-based company that helps airlines improve dynamic pricing. CEO Bryan Batista described the acquisition as the foundation of a new B2B business for Skyscanner, leveraging the company's flight demand data to serve airline partners. Skyscanner works with approximately 65 airline and airport partners and more than 10 online travel agencies.

The Middle East conflict that began in 2025 has affected Skyscanner's business. CEO Batista acknowledged in June 2026 that the conflict is weighing on travel demand, though he noted that travel is resilient and the company is working to weather the impact. Skyscanner's data shows that demand is shifting toward more regional travel as consumers become more cautious.