The airline industry is undergoing a revolutionary change driven by digitalization, shifting travel behavior, and the demand for more personalized retailing. At the forefront of this revolution is IATA's New Distribution Capability (NDC) — a global XML-based data standard designed to revolutionize airline distribution. But simply adopting NDC alone is not enough to guarantee success.
Airlines need an infrastructure that enables them to make the most out of NDC in a smart, efficient, and scalable way. That's exactly what OpenNDC offers. Here in this blog, we will discuss what is OpenNDC, how does OpenNDC work, and why has it become a need for airlines who want to revolutionize distribution, retailing smartly, and overcome longstanding industry issues.
What is New Distribution Capability (NDC)?
IATA designed the New Distribution Capability to improve air product distribution. Obsolete systems have long limited airlines to static fare displays and antiquated booking routines. NDC resulted from efforts to replace such limitations with a new, flexible, retail-type practice.
NDC enables airlines to:
Construct customized, dynamic offers in real-time
Provide rich content deliveries such as seat maps, branded fares, and bag options
Create direct contact with distribution partners
Command price and content delivery
Adhere to modern retail practice
But as NDC sets the stage for innovation, it's implementations such as OpenNDC that turn those possibilities into reality.
What is OpenNDC?
OpenNDC is a retailing technology platform for airlines that supports end-to-end NDC-based offer and order management. From the ground up, OpenNDC is NDC-native, giving airlines total control over how their content, price, and ancillaries are built, presented, and controlled.
OpenNDC is not just a connector; it's an all-encompassing, smart distribution system that removes complexity, speeds-to-market, and creates a smooth shopping experience through all touchpoints.
How OpenNDC Works
To understand how OpenNDC works, it is helpful to look at its modular design and main capabilities:
Unified API Framework
OpenNDC serves as an intermediary gateway between the internal systems of the airline and external channels of selling. Its strong API framework supports real-time interoperability between reservation systems, fare engines, loyalty programs, and corporate bookers.
Dynamic Offer Creation
Essentially, OpenNDC creates personalised offers based on traveller profiles, business rules per route, and market knowledge. These offers can be composed of flight segments, baggage, seat selection, meal options, and promo fares — all dynamically bundled in real-time.
Rich Content Delivery
OpenNDC supports multimedia content including seat previews, fare branding, and service icons. This gives the shopping process a richer look and feel, builds trust, and enhances conversion.
Full Order Lifecycle Management
The platform doesn't stop with the sale. OpenNDC coordinates all the order lifecycle — ticketing, payment, servicing, refunds, and changes — within the NDC construct.
Data & Analytics
OpenNDC includes real-time dashboards and reporting analytics that give airlines visibility into offer performance, conversion rates, ancillary revenue, and channel-level success metrics.
Why OpenNDC is Essential to Airlines Implementing NDC
Although NDC is the foundation of airline retailing now, successful NDC strategy is based on far more than compliance. The following is why OpenNDC is crucial to airlines in transition:
1. It Lets Airlines Realize the Full Potential of NDC
NDC allows for dynamic offers and high-content richness, but most airlines lack the tools necessary to implement it effectively. OpenNDC applies NDC standards to operational and commercial results — allowing airlines to roll out new products, personalize pricing, and automate.
2. It Provides Total Distribution Control
Legacy distribution patterns limit how airlines are able to present and offer their products. With OpenNDC, airlines regain control over the way their content is created, personalized, and delivered through channels. This means greater brand presence, better margins, and more targeted customer interaction.
3. It Solves Fragmented System Challenges
Airlines often struggle with disparate systems and siloed data. OpenNDC bridges the gaps by integrating core systems like reservation, pricing, loyalty, and payment into one retailing layer that supports faster decision-making and reduced manual labor.
4. It Accommodates Scalable Growth
Whether regional airline or global copyright, OpenNDC is scalable. Its modular design allows airlines to introduce new features, new partners, or new markets without retooling their underlying infrastructure.
5. It Drives Revenue with Personalization
Through the support of dynamic pricing, bundling, and upselling, OpenNDC enables airlines to grow revenue per passenger. Passengers are more apt to buy when offers are personalized and visually compelling — both of which are strengths of the OpenNDC platform.
Why OpenNDC?
Why OpenNDC for airlines wishing to transform their retail approach? Here are the key reasons:
NDC-Native Design: No retro-fit; OpenNDC is NDC-native
Modular Architecture: Scalable, simple to integrate, and adaptable
Real-Time Personalization: Provides customized based on passenger behavior
Increased Brand Visibility: Rich content and uniform product presentation
Operational Efficiency: Time-saving and cost-reducing end-to-end automation
Regardless of whether it's reducing distribution complexity, getting better pricing control, or increasing growth faster — OpenNDC delivers genuine, tangible benefits.
Conclusion
The future of airline retailing is smarter, quicker, and more agile distribution models — and New Distribution Capability provides this platform. But to maximize this change, airlines need technology that goes beyond compliance.
OpenNDC is not just another platform — it's the impetus for the airline retail experience of the future. From offer creation through fulfillment, and from brand presence through revenue yield, OpenNDC enables airlines to shift securely into the digital age.
If your airline is part of the NDC movement, be sure to join in with one built for the future. Choose OpenNDC — where smarter connectivity meets retailing innovation.