Amadeus: New NDC-X Program to Drive Innovation in Travel Industry

Amadeus, a leading provider of advanced technology solutions for the global travel industry, recently announced the creation of a NDC-X program that will focus on practical use cases of the New Distribution Capability (NDC).

Created by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), NDC is an XML-based data transmission standard that will enable travel companies – from airlines to travel agencies – to boost travel distribution and merchandizing.

“We are at a critical moment in terms of the development of the standard, and the readiness of the industry,” said Gianni Pisanello, VP, NDC-X program.

“For NDC to truly take off, we need to create a real standard not only for the protocol itself, but also for how it’s implemented,” Pisanello said.

The NDC-X program will bring together experts from across Amadeus’ business to focus on practical use cases of the standard, adopting a test and learn approach to deliver improved capabilities for the industry.

According to Pisanello, the standard must respond to travel seller requirements and have the right economics to drive investment.

“The NDC-X program is a strategic priority for Amadeus. Our aim is to create better journeys for travelers through the best use of technology, and this transversal program will work with our travel seller and airline customers to deliver just that,” said Decius Valmorbida, SVP, Travel Channels, Amadeus.

The company underlined that the NDC-X program is a continuation of its previous work towards the digitalization of the industry and the creation of commercial possibilities to build on NDC.