Expedia, the leading online travel provider, has acquired mobile apps developer Mobiata for an undisclosed sum. Mobiata specialises in travel apps, of which the most popular is FlightTrack, which keeps travellers informed about their flight details with real-time updates. The app is available for iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry and Palm devices. It has ranked as a top five best-selling travel app in the App Store for 18 months straight, according to Expedia’s press release on the takeover. In addition to building apps, two-year old Mobiata also partners with travel companies to help them develop mobile strategies. Its other apps include an itinerary manager TripDeck and accomodation booker HotelPal. A Pro Version of its popular FlightTrack app is integrated into TripIt Pro, the travel site’s premium version, notes TechCrunch. “We’re not sure if that relationship will continue post-acquisition,” it says in an article.

For Expedia, this acquisition is about addressing users’ desire to access Expedia’s sites on their mobile phones. This is the company’s biggest acquisition to date in the mobile market. “With the pace at which mobile traffic to Expedia sites is exploding, we wanted the right team to help us address the sizable opportunity swiftly and successfully,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, Expedia’s CE0. “There’s simply no better company out there doing mobile travel apps with the same level of design sensibility and utility as Mobiata.” Bookings via mobile phone in 2010 are up nearly five times the level of last year, says Expedia, although mobile traffic currently accounts for only approximately four percent of all visitors to Expedia.com.