IATA under fire for levels of input in NDC creation

Pummeled by charges that its efforts to design the New Distribution Capability (NDC) standards have been unilateral, IATA in November created a steering committee that, Kashgar tours beginning last month, gave nonairline stakeholders a say in setting the agendas for some meetings about its development.Arriving at a standard is essential in order for all parts of the airline distribution channel to exchange data and communicate efficiently. But within that channel, a lot of players brushed off the steering committee concept as offering too little input, too late in the game.Two GDSs, Sabre and Travelport, said the steering committee in no way offered the level of input they are seeking, since it only allows nonairline stakeholders input on setting meeting agendas and leaves them with no decision-making power  or even real input  in the development of NDCAmadeus, has been more conciliatory than other GDSs in public statements about NDC, but it said that travel agencies have been underrepresented in IATA workshops on the proposed standard.

IATA, as a representative of the airlines, is under no legal obligation to seek input from any nonairline persons or groups. But many groups that see themselves as stakeholders insist that for NDC to be embraced widely throughout the distribution channel, it has to meet the needs of GDSs, travel sellers, technology companies and other key players in the air distribution channel."For [NDC] to work, it has to have value for all stakeholders,"silk road group tour said Eric Leopold, director of passenger services for IATA. Moreover, he said that in forming the steering committee last November, "IATA acknowledged that people want to be more involved."What IATA and NDC opponents cannot agree on is what constitutes "involved."The six-member steering committee is limited to setting agendas and discussion topics for meetings of the Distribution Data Exchange Working Group (DDXWG), which consists of 30 entities: 10 airlines, five agencies and 15 technology companies.