DOJ May Halt Google’s Bid for ITA Software

Google’s $700 million acquisition of ITA Software may be halted by the U.S. Justice Department, which is reportedly preparing for a possible antitrust lawsuit to put the kibosh on the deal.

ITA’s software helps airlines, search engines and online travel companies organize flight information, including flight times, availability and prices.

Sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that the Justice Department has yet to decide whether to bless or block the deal, which would give Google access to data to improve its air travel and fare-search results.

The Wall Street Journal said the DOJ could decide whether to bless or block the deal this month or in February.

The search engine triggered preparation for the government’s possible lawsuit last month by invoking a provision of federal law that forces the government to decide within 30 days whether to challenge the deal.

Such a move is common in the industry where companies fear regulatory scrutiny is not moving quickly enough. Google bid to buy ITA last July 1, and the DOJ filed a second request for information about the deal in August.

For more, read the eWeek article: DOJ Mulling Antitrust Lawsuit to Halt Google ITA Bid.