After a long wait, Google has finally gotten approval from the Department of Justice to move ahead with its $700 million acquisition of ITA Software. ITA is a maker of flight information tracking software. The deal had been opposed by online travel agencies that depend on ITA software.

Conditions set by the government included a requirement that after the acquisition, Google will develop and license travel software. Also required will be an internal firewall and continued software research and development.

Google will be required to continue licensing ITA's flight comparison software at "commercially reasonable terms." Google will also have to prevent private information gathered by ITA software to be used in other parts of Google's business.

San Diego mergers and acquisitions attorneys noted that Justice also set a condition that Google will not be allowed to take actions that would restrict airlines' rights to share flight booking information with Google's competition.

Now that the acquisition is set to go ahead, Google is anticipating the day when people can type a casual query into Google about flights, and receive instant information on flights and fares.

Google says that ITA's business will continue as usual.

"The proposed settlement will protect competition for airfare comparison and booking websites and ensure those websites using ITA's software will be able to power their websites to compete against any airfare website Google may introduce," according to the Justice Department. 

Source: Forbes "Google Gets DOJ Approval For ITA Software Deal, At Last" 4/8/2011