What Is NDC?
New Distribution Capability (NDC) is an IATA-developed standard that modernizes how airlines sell and distribute their products. It enables airlines to move beyond traditional fare structures and offer richer, more personalized content through indirect channels, including travel agencies, online travel agencies (OTAs), and corporate booking platforms.
By adopting NDC, airlines gain meaningful control over how their products are displayed and sold, moving away from the limitations of traditional distribution. This allows them to deliver richer and more relevant offers directly to customers. Accelya leads this transformation as a long-standing pioneer in NDC, providing widely adopted technology that helps airlines streamline distribution and strengthen their retailing capabilities.
Role of NDC in the Airline Industry
Accelya’s FLX ONE NDC empowers airlines to transition from legacy distribution to modern retailing, ensuring that customers receive relevant and competitive travel options across all touchpoints. As the industry moves towards more digitalized and dynamic sales models, NDC adoption is becoming essential for airlines seeking greater profitability and the flexibility to take full control of their retailing strategy.
- More personalised offers: Enables customised pricing, seat selection, and service add-ons based on traveller preferences.
- Enhanced content: Provides richer content, including visuals and detailed descriptions, to better position airlines’ products and improve the booking experience.
- Richer ancillary services: Allows airlines to create and distribute a wider range of fare bundles and ancillaries
- Real-time updates: NDC gives airlines greater flexibility to update flight availability, pricing, and ancillary services instantly.
- Revenue opportunity: Helps airlines reduce distribution costs while increasing conversion through stronger upselling opportunities.
- Distribution Freedom: Airlines can choose the distribution strategy that works for them without legacy technology or commercial constraints, enabling distribution directly to travel sellers or through aggregators and GDSs.
FAQs
NDC is a standardized framework developed by IATA that enables airlines to take control of their distribution strategy and embrace modern retailing in the indirect channel.
It allows airlines to offer a true omni-channel experience, giving them the ability to control their distribution strategy across all channels. With NDC, airlines can deliver richer, more relevant, and personalised content in real time and position their products consistently in the indirect channel, just as they do in their direct channels.
Travellers get more transparent pricing, personalised offers, and better service options when booking flights, creating a more relevant and meaningful shopping experience.
NDC reduces airlines’ reliance on outdated GDS models and legacy technology, enabling more flexible and direct connections with sales partners while lowering distribution costs.
Key Takeaways
- NDC is an IATA standard that modernizes airline retailing, breaking free from legacy distribution.
- It allows airlines to offer personalized fares, and a wider range of ancillaries and bundled services.
- The standard enhances data transparency and improves the traveler booking experience.
- Airlines can reduce dependency on legacy systems, reduce distribution costs and gain greater control.
- Leading solutions, like those from Accelya, support seamless NDC adoption for airlines.
Conclusion
Airlines that integrate NDC-driven retailing strategies can enhance customer satisfaction and increase direct sales while reducing distribution costs.
For more insights into NDC and its impact on airline distribution, you can explore Accelya’s dedicated resources on this topic. Additionally, Accelya’s eBook, “Unlock Distribution Freedom with NDC,” provides an in-depth analysis of how NDC adoption can empower airlines to take control of their distribution strategies.
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