Amadeus has launched an "NDC-X" program to push
adoption and use cases for the International Air Transport Association's
XML-based New Distribution Capability standard. Led by Amadeus VP Gianni
Pisanello, the program will test and refine uses of NDC, working alongside its
airline and travel-selling customers, according to Pisanello. The global
distribution operator plans to have Web bookings that connect to airlines via
NDC this year. By next year, it expects to add NDC service capabilities like
ancillary purchases or changing tickets. "NDC has the potential to go
beyond merchandizing; it could revolutionize how travel is bought and
sold," Pisanello wrote in a blog post. "At the moment we are setting
up a strong foundation, but it's what we will be able to do on top of that
which is really exciting."
Amadeus achieved the first level of NDC certification as an
aggregator last year and expects to reach Level 3 certification this year. It
already has achieved Level 3 certification on the IT side. Travelport became a
Level 3 aggregator in December, and Sabre, which earned Level 3 certification
on the IT side on Feb. 14, also expects to become a Level 3 aggregator this
year.
Travelport also has announced its "product
road map" for NDC, which includes application programming interface
connections for airlines and, by the second half of this year, a tool for
agencies that offers NDC content in the Travelport Smartpoint desktop. After
that, it plans to integrate NDC-connected and GDS content onto the same
workflow for its agency customers.