New Distribution Capability (NDC) is a travel industry-supported program launched by IATA for the development and market adoption of a new, XML-based data transmission standard that will change airline distribution as we know it today.
What this entails is that airlines and travel agents can now offer passengers more than just a simple booking. NDC provides access to a full range of airline products such as seating choice, bundled fares, upgrades, all of which through pictures and videos, making the whole buying experience more focused on customer preferences.
A total of 52 airlines globally have implemented NDC in a live environment, nearly half of which (25) are European-based carriers. These include Aeroflot, British Airways, Iberia, the Lufthansa group, Turkish Airlines and Air France/KLM. In addition, many IT providers, Travel Management Companies and airline content aggregators have implemented NDC. Edinburgh-based Skyscanner was the first metasearch company to become NDC certified, when in partnership with British Airways, they enabled their customers to book seats using the Skyscanner App.
IATA’s contribution to building airline retailing is being recognized by the travel industry. For Bill Brindle, CEO of Hogg Robinson Group: “Everyone wants more innovation. This is a significant period of change (…) IATA NDC is at the heart of this change”. Buying Business Travel, on their side, recognizes the importance of this initiative, which helps us influence and shape the present and future of the industry.
Speaking of the present and future… What about 2018? This year, we will continue providing technical support to developers, all the while focusing on our key priority: supporting airlines to increase their NDC transactions, and using the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) for reporting and settlement. We will also focus on travel agent mid and back office integration, which is a key challenge to critical mass deployment, and will hold education activities across the value chain with a special focus on travel managers.
IATA Europe will continue to support its regional stakeholders in implementing NDC as part of their distribution strategy as well as informing them of the benefits and changes that this initiative is bringing to the aviation industry.
For more information on NDC, visit the NDC webpage and if you have questions please contact us.
