By Marietta Cauchi

Amadeus IT Holding (AMADF, AMS.MC) has hired J.P. Morgan Chase (JPM) to sell its European online travel agency business Opodo, people familiar with the situation told Dow Jones Newswires Monday.

Opodo represents just 4% of Amadeus's revenue and isn't considered key to the company. Amadeus was floated for some EUR1.3 billion earlier this year by its buyout owners Cinven Group and BC Partners. Opodo's closest competitor is Expedia, which has been trading on a nine times Ebitda multiple, implying a maximum EUR300 million valuation for Opodo whose 2009 full-year Ebitda was EUR26.2 million.

-By Marietta Cauchi, Dow Jones Newswires; marietta.cauchi@dowjones.com