The airline sector is racing towards an NDC-defined future—a standard which allows for personalized offers, direct links, and enhanced retail control for airlines. Yet, with so many solutions professing support for NDC, few are able to provide real, scalable value. Of those, OpenNDC stands out through its disciplined architecture, accelerated time to market, and capability to handle real-world complexity in airline distribution.
This post goes in-depth into what makes OpenNDC stand out, such as its airline-first philosophy, modular design, and NDC foundation.
The Requirement for a Fresh Framework of Distribution
Airlines have been encircled for years by legacy systems that are outdated, constrain pricing flexibility, slow down product updates, and render personalized retailing essentially impractical. IATA created New Distribution Capability (NDC) as a remedy to the issue, yet making it work requires so much more than compliance—it requires innovation, velocity, and agility.
That is where OpenNDC sets the pace.
What Is OpenNDC?
OpenNDC is a next-generation airline distribution platform designed to simplify and streamline NDC deployment. OpenNDC is not generic or patched-together; it's developed from scratch based on NDC ideas. It allows airlines to control offers and orders, personalize content, and provide frictionless experiences—brand, price, and product setup all in their control.
What Does OpenNDC Offer That's Unique?
1. 100% NDC-Native Infrastructure
OpenNDC is not a legacy platform adaptation. It's natively built on NDC principles with XML and RESTful APIs meeting current IATA schemas. It guarantees true compatibility with NDC-based ecosystems and periodic updates.
2. Modular, Scalable Architecture
The platform is built with microservices, which means airlines can use only the pieces they require—e.g., Offer Management, Order Management, Pricing Engine, etc. Modularity ensures it is simple to scale as your distribution requirements grow.
3. API-First, Cloud-Optimized
OpenNDC is an API-first, cloud-optimized platform where each feature is made available via high-performance APIs. Leveraging a cloud-native architecture, it provides speed, dependability, and secure global accessibility.
4. Seamless Integration with Airline Systems
Regardless of whether your airline operates a legacy Passenger Service System (PSS), a built-to-spec platform, or an off-the-shelf web booking engine, OpenNDC seamlessly integrates without compromising essential business processes.
5. Personalization Engine
Central to OpenNDC is a real-time personalization engine that leverages context data, customer profile, and past behavior to personalize offers in real time. Airlines can enhance engagement and higher conversion by getting the right product to the right traveler at the right moment.
How OpenNDC Works: End-to-End NDC Functionality
OpenNDC provides an end-to-end NDC life cycle comprising:
Offer Management: Real-time pricing, ancillaries, bundles, fare families
Order Management: Booking, servicing, refunds, cancellations
Content Distribution: Publisher of offers centralized to direct and collaborate channels
Analytics Dashboard: Real-time performance tracking, conversion, route-specific analytics
This full-stack underpinning enables airlines to embrace a new model of retailing and thrive in an agile, digitally-enabled market.
How OpenNDC Determines Leading Market Challenges
The majority of NDC implementations fail because they ignore reconciling airline-specific challenges. OpenNDC is different—it's designed to recognize and rectify market challenges, including:
Disparate booking experiences
Channel-specific content fragmentation
Non-consistent pricing and offer rules
Long integration timelines
Lack of real-time visibility into performance
OpenNDC addresses all of these by providing a centralized, flexible, and intelligent framework that adapts to airline needs.
Why Choose OpenNDC?
If you’re evaluating NDC platforms, here’s why choosing OpenNDC makes a difference:
NDC-compliant and future-ready
Full control over offer creation and branding
Rapid time-to-market for implementation
Deep integration with existing systems
Optimized for personalization and analytics
Modular and cost-effective
It's not a platform—it's a strategic enabler that allows airlines to own their digital transformation.
Conclusion
OpenNDC is not merely an NDC-enabled solution. It's an airline-focused, API-first, cloud-native platform designed to reimagine distribution from scratch. Its unique infrastructure, sophisticated personalization, and real-time offer functionality make it the solution of choice for airlines ready to be at the forefront of NDC.
If you're ready to grasp the airline retailing future with certainty, OpenNDC provides the infrastructure, intelligence, and innovation for success.