Airlink, Southern Africa’s premier airline, will begin introducing New Distribution Capabilities (NDC) in its transactions with the travel trade from 31 July 2024.
The transition to NDC version 21.3 comes after over a year of meticulous work by Airlink’s commercial department to modernize and elevate the airline’s distribution capabilities, aligning them with the latest global industry standards.
NDC, developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), represents a significant advancement in the way airlines and trade partners engage, facilitating the presentation of travel content in a more immersive and dynamic format designed to streamline booking processes and enhance upsell opportunities for agents.
Replacing the outdated Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport (EDIFACT) protocol from the 1980s, NDC heralds a new era of efficiency and innovation in airline distribution.
Rodger Foster, CEO and Managing Director of Airlink, commented on the move, stating, “By adopting NDC, Airlink aims to optimise the availability and presentation of our content, driving down costs and enhancing our competitiveness in the market.”
He added, “The introduction of IATA NDC will empower our partner agents with enhanced capabilities, allowing for seamless booking management, real-time updates, and swift resolution of customer inquiries.”
Foster emphasized the long-term benefits of NDC implementation, highlighting its role in keeping Airlink at the forefront of industry best practices while fostering sustainability and delivering enhanced value to trade partners and customers alike.
Airlink has collaborated with Thomalex to develop and test its NDC offering and has appointed Thomalex as its initial NDC aggregator partner. However, the airline remains open to exploring additional connectivity solutions and partners to expand its global reach through NDC.
While all Airlink fares currently available in the traditional GDS EDIFACT channel will remain unchanged, trade partners will need to transition to NDC to access additional content and preferential terms on specified Airlink sectors from 31 July 2024 to 30 July 2026.
SOURCE: AIRLINK