The Gap Widens as Modern Airline Retailing Leaders Pull Further Ahead

London, UK – September 22, 2026

New data from Lufthansa Group and Accelya show leading airlines and travel programs are converting Modern Airline Retailing (MAR) into measurable revenue growth, improved distribution economics and competitive advantage.

• NDC is reaching a significant scale and continuing to accelerate; 50% of Lufthansa Group’s indirect bookings now flow through NDC, with ancillary attachment rates up to three times higher than traditional EDIFACT channels.
• Modern Airline Retailing is improving airline economics, with Accelya data for other airlines showing up to $76 in incremental revenue per ticket where an ancillary is attached.
• Corporate NDC bookings across the Accelya platform grew 169% in July 2026 compared with July 2025, with one major corporate travel program achieving more than 56-fold growth in the same period.

For the leaders in Modern Airline Retailing, the debate has moved on. The question is no longer whether NDC works, but who is converting Modern Airline Retailing into commercial advantage.

New data being presented by Accelya at T2RLEngage shows airlines and corporations operating NDC at significant scale and converting that scale into measurable commercial returns.

Taken together, the data shows a widening divide between organizations that have operationalized Modern Airline Retailing and those still focused primarily on building adoption.”

50% of Lufthansa Group’s indirect bookings now flow through NDC, with ancillary attachment rates through NDC reaching up to three times those achieved through traditional EDIFACT channels.

Corporate adoption is accelerating too. Corporate NDC bookings across the Accelya platform grew 169% year on year. For one major global company, NDC bookings through its corporate travel program have increased more than 56-fold in the past year.

The economics are increasingly clear

As Modern Airline Retailing reaches scale, airlines are seeing benefits on both sides of the commercial equation.

Greater control over distribution can reduce reliance on higher-cost legacy channels and enable airlines to distribute directly to travel sellers creating opportunities for significant distribution cost savings. At the same time, richer offers and more sophisticated merchandising are creating new revenue opportunities.

Accelya data shows that, on tickets where an ancillary is attached, richer merchandising and ancillary capabilities are generating up to $76 in incremental revenue per ticket for airlines. 

These revenue gains and the opportunity to improve distribution economics demonstrate that, for leading airlines, Modern Airline Retailing is no longer simply a transformation initiative. It is delivering measurable commercial value today.

Tye Radcliffe, Chief Customer Success Officer at Accelya, said:

“For the industry’s leaders, the debate has moved on. NDC is no longer the destination. It is the foundation that enables Modern Airline Retailing. The pioneers are already converting that foundation into measurable business results through better distribution economics, stronger merchandising performance and better traveler experiences.”

“While some organizations continue evaluating multi-year transformation programs, leading airlines are capturing value today. They are improving economics now while building the capabilities that will define the next generation of airline commerce.”

“The gap is widening. Simply deploying NDC isn’t enough. Airlines that are driving real adoption — and using it to create better offers, manage orders more effectively, automate servicing and apply intelligence across the retailing journey — are building advantages that compound over time.”

Lufthansa Group: Demonstrating the Economics at Scale

Lufthansa Group demonstrates what Modern Airline Retailing looks like when deployed at significant scale.

Today, 50% of Lufthansa Group’s indirect bookings flow through NDC, while selected strategic travel partners have moved to 100% NDC bookings.

Modern Airline Retailing has enabled Lufthansa Group to introduce differentiated fare products alongside continuous pricing, giving it greater control over the offers it creates and distributes. Its modular approach also allows Lufthansa Group to combine different capabilities and partners around its own retailing strategy rather than depend on a single end-to-end technology stack.

The results extend well beyond transaction volumes:

• Ancillary attachment rates of up to three times those achieved through EDIFACT.
• More competitive fares and pricing, creating greater value across the travel ecosystem.
• Access to differentiated content and richer offers not available through traditional distribution.

Puck Voorneveld, Senior Director Distribution & Payment, Lufthansa Group, said:

“Modern Airline Retailing is a commercial imperative for Lufthansa Group. It gives us the foundations to create the prices, offers and distribution experience that work best for our customers and our business.”

“This is no longer a future strategy. We are deploying it at scale today and seeing meaningful financial and customer benefits as a result.”

Check out Voorneveld’s video case study:

Corporate NDC Moves into the Mainstream

The same transition is increasingly visible in corporate travel. Corporate NDC bookings across the Accelya platform grew 169% year on year, with one major corporate travel program achieving more than 56-fold growth in the same period

This demonstrates that NDC is moving beyond experimentation and becoming a material distribution channel within one of the industry’s most demanding environments.

The program combines richer airline content and greater traveler choice with the servicing capabilities, corporate policy controls and operational reliability required to support business travelers globally.

It shows that adoption can accelerate rapidly once content, servicing and traveler experience work together rather than being treated as separate technology problems.

NDC Is the Foundation, Not the Finish Line

NDC’s importance goes beyond creating a modern connection between airlines and sellers. It is the foundation for the industry’s transition towards IATA’s vision of Offers and Orders, enabling airlines to move beyond fragmented, ticket-centric processes and create richer, more dynamic retail experiences.

For airlines already operating NDC at scale, the opportunity is no longer simply modern distribution. The differentiator is how effectively they turn that foundation into adoption and commercial value — creating better offers, managing orders more effectively, automating servicing and applying intelligence across the customer journey. That includes Dynamic Offers, continuous pricing, modern Order management, disruption management and AI-powered decision-making.

As NDC adoption matures, competitive advantage will increasingly shift from merely being connected to actual delivering real volume and execution. As Radcliffe explains:

“NDC is the foundation. It isn’t the finish line.”

“The opportunity is no longer simply modern distribution. It is how effectively airlines use that foundation to create better offers, manage orders, automate servicing and apply intelligence across the retailing lifecycle.”

“Modern Airline Retailing leaders are already building that advantage. Airlines that learn faster, merchandise better and serve customers more effectively will continue to pull further ahead.”

About Accelya

Accelya is a global leader in airline software, powering over 200 airlines with an open, modular platform that enables them to drive growth, enhance customer experiences, and take control of their retailing. Our FLX ONE platform empowers airlines to transform across Offer, Order, Settlement, and Delivery (OOSD), in line with IATA’s standards for modern retailing.   

With a cloud-native infrastructure powered by AWS, Accelya processes more than 30 billion unique offers daily, and settles over $100 billion annually. Our solutions span the entire retail lifecycle, both above and below the wing, giving airlines the flexibility, performance, scalability, and reliability they need.   

Backed by 40 years of industry expertise, long-term support from Vista Equity Partners, and 2,500 employees across 10 global offices, Accelya has the scale and proven track record to meet the evolving needs of the airline industry. 

For more information, visit the Accelya Website.

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