SaudiGulf Airlines has received the Level 4 New Distribution Capability (NDC) certification from International Air Transport Association (Iata) on schema 18.2.

NDC is a key transformation project, launched by Iata to modernise airline distribution. The NDC Standard enhances the capability of communications between airlines and travel agents. NDC is aimed at modernising the 40-year-old data exchange for air ticket distribution developed before the internet was invented. As previously with 100 per cent electronic ticketing Iata program, NDC is a large-scale program that is triggering substantial changes across the industry.

Karim Makhlouf, chief commercial officer, SaudiGulf Airlines, stated: “We are excited and proud to receive NDC Level 4 certification from Iata. As airlines evolve to what we sell and how we sell, the potential to use NDC for segmentation of travellers by corporations and personalization to create a better travel shopping experience, provides tremendous opportunity for SaudiGulf Airlines.

SaudiGulf Airlines has partnered with TPConnects to accelerate its NDC-enabled retailing, distribution and fulfillment strategy. SaudiGulf Airlines controlled Offer and Order Management solution along with Airline Agent platform from TPConnects based on NDC Level 4 Schema 18.2 enables the carrier to introduce exclusive air and ancillary contents to the travel agents and OTA’s.

SaudiGulf Airlines will be rolling out TPConnects NDC Certified Airline Agent Platform and NDC API’s for travel agents who already have a booking engine, with increased efficiency in suggesting and selling air and non-air (hotels, car, insurance etc) ancillary products.’’

"With NDC enabled distribution, SaudiGulf Airlines believes that it has an opportunity to create a vastly enhanced customer experience of the future, where consistent and comparable content can be consumed through the traveller’s channel of choice," added Makhlouf.

Travel partners including travel agents, travel management companies, online travel agents and corporates who wish to access SaudiGulf Airlines NDC Content can directly register on ndc.saudigulfairlines.com. - TradeArabia News Service