The NDC standard is revolutionizing the way airlines sell and distribute their products, offering more flexible and targeted options for travellers. However, as NDC-based solutions gain traction in the market, the increasingly complex landscape of aviation data compliance remains a critical consideration for air operators seeking to capitalize on the new sales opportunities NDC enables.
NDC stands for New Distribution Capability, an IATA-led industry standard designed to modernize how airlines sell products, enhancing distribution models and delivering more compelling services to travellers. While NDC is changing the game in terms of sales and customer experience, it’s important to remember that regulatory reporting of passenger and crew data remains a critical element for any NDC-based system.
NDC: The big deal and the catch
NDC unlocks the potential for richer content and more engaging sales offers—bundles, ancillaries, seat maps, branded fares, and more. Unlike the legacy GDS EDIFACT messaging, NDC is a modern API (=Application Programming Interface) that can distribute content more dynamically to online travel agencies (OTAs), third-party platforms, and directly to travellers.
NDC is a long-awaited change in the aviation industry, affecting key elements of the entire aviation information ecosystem. This change is highly complex and poses a significant challenge for every major airline. PSS (Passenger Service System) functionalities have been developed over decades, encompassing many specific edge cases. The costs of building an NDC-based solution that replaces legacy PSS and the risks associated with such a project can be overwhelming, even for mature IT teams.
Plus, there's a catch…
From a compliance perspective, while NDC presents new sales possibilities, it does not inherently address the legal and regulatory requirements for submitting passenger and crew data. Airlines must ensure their systems comply with national and international data regulations, and support secure data handling with timely reports to authorities. Over the last decade, this compliance environment has grown increasingly complex, evolving into a task of its own within the broader ecosystem of systems and processes that drive airline operations.
PAX and CREW data compliance is a must
When travellers purchase tickets along with any additional services (baggage, seat upgrades, etc.), sensitive personal and travel data is generated and needs to be processed and transmitted to the appropriate authorities. This obligation concerns Passenger Name Record (PNR), Advanced Passenger Information (API), and other mandatory data submissions.
Failure to comply with the requirements can result in fines, delays, and potential security risks—making it critical for airlines to adopt a solution that integrates with NDC-based systems to automatically handle PAX and CREW data compliance.
PnrGo: Automated PAX and CREW data compliance compatible with your NDC-based system
While NDC doesn’t address compliance out-of-the-box, PnrGo offers a robust automated solution that integrates seamlessly into NDC-based systems, ensuring airlines remain fully compliant with PAX and CREW data reporting.
PnrGo’s compliance solution takes the headache out of managing complex regulatory requirements. We handle:
- National API and PNR submissions
- International sanctions and passenger vetting schemes
- Travel authorization programs
In short, PnrGo automates the compliance process, ensuring airlines can offer rich, personalized sales options via NDC while adhering to all necessary regulations.
Key benefits of PnrGo's compliance solution for NDC-based systems:
- Comprehensive regulatory coverage: From batch data reporting to interactive travel programs, our solution ensures you're always compliant.
- Customizable NDC system plug-in: Since NDC is a flexible guideline rather than a rigid framework, integration details must be tailored to your system. Our compliance solution can be adjusted to your NDC infrastructure, saving time and reducing development of compliance functionalities and integrations.
- Automated data processing: Automating the data reporting process minimizes human error and ensures timely, accurate submissions to authorities.
- Cost efficiency: Automating compliance reduces operational and software development costs, freeing up resources for your core business goals—like driving sales offer & order process through NDC.
Harness the combined power of NDC and automated compliance
NDC offers significant sales opportunities for airlines, but to fully capitalize on its potential, a reliable compliance solution is essential. PnrGo complements NDC-based systems by automating PAX and CREW data compliance, allowing airlines to focus on growing their business, shorten NDC implementation timeline and reduce risk of the overall implementation project.
Rather than reinventing the wheel, you can opt for an out-of-the-box, ready-to-integrate solution that simplifies the complex compliance landscape. Our customizable software ensures that your airline remains compliant while using the NDC technology that opens new sales opportunities.
Ready to integrate seamless PAX and CREW data compliance into your NDC-based system? Contact PnrGo today and take the next step toward a more efficient, compliant, and future-proof distribution strategy.
