The aviation transport industry is being transformed by digital innovation and changing market realities. Gradually, at the center of all this transformation lies the New Distribution Capability (NDC)—a modern XML-based data transfer standard developed by IATA. The aim of this initiative is to allow airlines to showcase more dynamic, tailored offers directly to travel sellers and end consumers. In the midst of this transition, OpenNDC has risen as a groundbreaking platform that makes and improves NDC adoption easier for airlines across the world.
In this blog, we’ll explore what is OpenNDC, its role in the NDC ecosystem, how OpenNDC works, and why choosing OpenNDC helps airlines overcome current market challenges.
What Is OpenNDC?
OpenNDC is a high-level travel tech solution that simplifies the implementation and management of New Distribution Capability for carriers. OpenNDC acts as a strong facilitator between airline reservation systems, internet book engines, and global distribution channels. OpenNDC enables airlines to have full control over content, fares, and customer experience while meeting IATA standards of NDC implementation.
Compared to traditional systems on aging hardware, OpenNDC is an up-to-date, scalable, and efficient model of distribution set to live up to the demands of technology enthusiasts and high-tech airline operations of the era.
How OpenNDC Works
OpenNDC is a middleware infrastructure that could be readily integrated with Global Distribution Systems (GDS) and direct channels. It grants the airlines the capacity to pool, manage, and distribute offers across various sales points without sacrificing control on pricing, branding, and bundling ancillary products.
Below is a step-by-step explanation of how OpenNDC works:
Integration Layer: Integrates with Passenger Service Systems (PSS), fare management applications, and inventory systems.
Offer and Order Management: Generates dynamic offers in real-time and optimizes the entire order life cycle.
API-Driven Architecture: Enables rapid and agile integration with NDC-friendly front-end applications.
Analytics and Intelligence: Provides insights to optimize offer strategy and track distribution performance.
The scalable architecture enables airlines to provide rich, personalized content economically at multiple touchpoints.
Why OpenNDC?
Picking OpenNDC offers numerous strategic advantages to airlines in adopting NDC-based distribution:
Speed to Market: OpenNDC reduces the time it takes to implement NDC, allowing airlines to become live and compete in days.
Total Control: Airlines own their content, fares, and promotions outright.
Customization: The system is flexible, supporting customizable workflows for different airline business models.
Future-Ready: Designed to accommodate future changes in IATA standards and new technologies.
Cost Savings: Reduces dependency on legacy systems and human processes, lowering the cost of operations.
These features make OpenNDC a viable alternative for airlines to choose from if they need to go digital in their distribution approach.
How OpenNDC Identifies Key Market Challenges
There are quite many challenges that the airlines face as they migrate towards NDC-capable environments in a competitive market. OpenNDC identifies key market challenges and offers real solutions:
Fragmentation of Distributive Channels: OpenNDC unites multiple channels, eliminating silos.
No Personalization: The platform facilitates real-time, data-driven offers that are personalized based on customer preference.
Limited Visibility: Rich analytics tools provide visibility into patterns of bookings and performance metrics.
Integration Complexity: With its intrinsic modularity, OpenNDC reduces the integration complexity across numerous third-party systems.
Through addressing these fundamental problems, OpenNDC allows airlines to achieve operational efficiency, enhanced customer satisfaction, and increased revenue generation.
Conclusion
In terms of New Distribution Capabilities (NDC) as well, airlines must adopt smart, flexible solutions according to the needs of the current market. OpenNDC is a better travel tech solution that not just simplifies NDC adoption but also innovatively changes content management and distribution for airlines.
Learning what OpenNDC is, how OpenNDC operates, and why OpenNDC selection is relevant can result in unlocking greater value and being ahead of the curve as the travel industry continues to evolve at a faster and more accelerated rate. As a valued partner in the digital transformation process, OpenNDC remains integral to shaping airline distribution in the future.