Published: 21 Nov 2007

Skyscanner, which was founded in 2003 in Scotland, has developed proprietary search engine technology which allows consumers to obtain instant online comparisons on fares from more than 180 airlines to more than 5,000 destinations.

It plans to become the first flight search engine in the world to cover every scheduled flight, including budget and chartered airlines as well as major carriers. The free-to-use website www.skyscanner.net "is already generating profits and attracting around one million price enquiries a day."

Skyscanner already has commercial links with the majority of European airlines and is now targeting global coverage. The company is preparing for rapid growth as more routes are added to its database which displays search results in 20 different languages.

Skyscanner Chief Executive Gareth Williams said the site will become the first flight search engine in the world to show fares for every flight at the touch of a button.

Skyscanner operates a flexible easy-to-use system, allowing users to browse fare and flight information without having to specify their date of travel. It does not sell tickets but has direct links with airlines' websites, removing the need to re-enter data. It offers a Multi-Hop flight search facility and suggestions for short and longer break destinations.