The Schedule Data Exchange Program is a strategic IATA initiative to provide an industry-owned and controlled schedule and MCT database.
This database will reduce dependencies and provide airlines with more control over their schedule through a viable backup that offers security and reliability.
Benefits of Joining the Program
Schedule, capacity, and MCT data are essential for the efficient operation of the air transport network, including network planning, revenue management, slot coordination, or interline agreements.
By joining the Schedule Data Exchange Program, airlines will benefit from:
- Minimize dependency risk – Rely on IATA as a reliable industry backup to ensure continuity.
- Free participation – No cost to contributing airlines to receive the data from the database.
- Data-driven decisions – Leverage the schedule database to perform analysis for informed choices.
- Industry governance – Industry owned and managed through an Airline Advisory Group.
- Quality assurance – Robust quality assurance processes to maintain high data quality standards.
Join the Schedule Data Exchange Program
The program is open to both IATA-member and non-member airlines.
For participation details or to join the program, please contact us at schedule@iata.org.
How to Join
The Schedule Data Exchange Program is open to all airlines, and it’s based on the give-to-get principle: airlines who are contributing their schedule data to the Program are entitled to receive the data derived from IATA’s Schedule Data Exchange Program database.
It’s an industry initiative, not a commercial solution, so contributing airlines will receive the output data for free.
STEP 1: Sign Agreement – Sign the standard Contributed Data License Agreement to contribute your airline schedule and MCT exceptions data (if applicable) and the Subscription Agreement to receive the data from the IATA Schedule Data Exchange Program database.
STEP 2: Share Schedule and MCT exceptions Data – Submit your airline schedule and MCT exceptions files to IATA. If you are not able to submit MCT exceptions but only schedule data, you can still join the Program and receive output data for schedule only.
STEP 3: Receive the Data from the Database – Starting in August 2025, participating airlines will be able to receive the data from IATA’s Schedule Data Exchange Program database.
Input & Output
Data input
Submitting your data to the Schedule Data Exchange Program is very easy: use the same submission method your airline uses today for global distribution channels and data aggregators. Files should be in IATA standard formats (SSIM/SSM/ASM) and can be transmitted via your preferred method (Email, SFTP, iiNET, API, etc.). If SSIM files cannot be generated, IATA standard CSV or Excel files are also accepted.
Data output
The Schedule Data Exchange Program database will provide you different options to get the output data: global SSIM file, flat files, or cloud native tables, which can be integrated with their internal analytical tools to support informed decision-making and strategic planning.
Once the agreement is in place and the data onboarded, we will work with your IT team to establish connectivity via SFTP to distribute to you the data.
Airlines Supporting the Program
Updated list of airlines supporting the program.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the objective of IATA in building a Schedule MCT Data Exchange Program?
Building on what IATA has already achieved with industry data sharing programs such as DDS (Direct Data Solutions), CDD (CargoIS Direct Data), and others, IATA is launching a new data exchange program to develop and maintain an industry owned schedules and MCT database with the following objectives.
- To support the industry data strategy and vision: IATA to become the airlines’ trusted source of aviation data with clear governance.
- To put airlines in control of their schedule and MCT data via an airline advisory board.
- To offer the industry an airline-governed schedule database.
What is the benefit for an airline joining the program?
The program will be built based on a give-to-get model. Airlines joining the program will get access to the newly built schedule database.
Participating Carriers who have joined the program by signing the Contributed Data License Agreement will be eligible to access this IATA schedule database for the duration of their schedule data contribution to the program as a certified Participating Carrier.
Is the IATA Schedule and MCT Data Exchange Program open to all airlines?
The schedule data exchange program is open to all airlines including airlines who are not IATA members.
How would the data be handled?
As with our other data contributing and sharing programs, IATA would create a data release policy together with the airlines for data governance. The policy would establish the criteria to access the schedule database and would only provide those airlines who contribute to the schedule data exchange program with access to the database.
Would the program require the participating airline to set up a new transmission method to IATA?
The program is designed for seamless integration into the airline’s existing schedule data-sharing processes, ensuring a simple setup with minimal effort required to establish the data flow. IATA’s solution will accommodate and align with the existing schedule publishing process.
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