Australia is outperforming the global market in the adoption of IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC), with the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) ready to share its success with international counterparts.
In an interview with travelBulletin, ATIA CEO Dean Long revealed that only around 20 airlines globally are in advanced stages of implementing NDC, with major Australian carriers taking the lead. This progress, Long explained, has been largely driven by significant investment in technology.
Long described IATA’s NDC as “the greatest opportunity and the greatest challenge the industry faces,” acknowledging that the transition presents challenges for both airlines and travel agents.
“Some airlines are doing NDC really well and have got a very good relationship with the agency community, and some aren’t doing it as well,” Long said.
The adoption of NDC, according to Long, varies significantly by region. “If you look through Africa, for example, NDC really doesn’t have any prevalence at all, and if you look through different European carriers, very limited NDC take-up,” he noted.
However, in regions like Germany, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, and certain flag carriers in Asia, NDC is becoming an integral part of airline strategies. “It’s really part of the road map that they’ve got,” Long added.
Australia’s robust NDC adoption includes 146 carriers available to agents, and Long stressed the importance of ensuring a balanced approach across all of them.
“We want to make sure it’s a balanced approach across those 146 so we can continue to offer the best value to the customer,” he said.
On the global front, ATIA continues to shape discussions on NDC, with Long serving as Co-Vice Chair on the Executive Committee of the World Travel Agents Associations Alliance (WTAAA).
“It’s really important that where we can, we bring global support into national issues that have massive flow-on implications,” Long said.
Australia’s success in NDC adoption places the country at the forefront of a global shift, with ATIA poised to lead the conversation on best practices for the industry worldwide.
