Qatar Airways earns IATA’s New Distribution Capability Level 3 Certification

Airline invests in new technology to give customers faster access to full airfare and travel product information and a better purchase experience

DOHA, Qatar, 2017-Dec-08 — /Travel PR News/ — Qatar Airways recently achieved the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) NDC Level 3 Certification, demonstrating its use of the latest technological standards in providing information about airfares and other services to customers and to travel agents or another third party. NDC ensures that customers have fast access to full fare and travel product information, making for better decisions and easier transactions for travellers.

IATA has led this industry-wide initiative to standardise the way that airlines and travel service providers communicate with one another and customers. This certification, the highest level to be achieved under IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) Certification Programme, provides increased transparency and speed of communication, allowing customers access to a wider choice of products and services, enabling them to make more informed buying decisions.

Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Ehab Amin, said: “As a global business with a global presence, we want to make it easier for customers to access our growing global network and range of products and services. As choices become more complex, we have to provide ways to access them more simply. That is what NDC is all about for Qatar Airways: improving the experience for our passengers.”

The certification is a significant achievement, as Qatar Airways is the first airline in the Africa and Middle East region and second globally to implement the latest version of the standard. It shows that the airline is committed to improving the experience for its passengers at every part of their journey, both on the ground and in the air.

IATA Director NDC Program, Mr. Yanik Hoyles, said: “Congratulations to Qatar Airways on achieving the first Level 3 Certification on NDC standard 17.2 in the Africa and Middle East Region. Beginning with their participation with the full trial and live deployment of NDC, Qatar Airways has been a leader in the region in supporting NDC. It is a standard that is modernising the way that airline products are presented through travel agents, helping to deliver a fuller and more transparent shopping experience to travelers.”

This status, the highest level to be achieved, recognises that Qatar Airways uses the latest version of IATA’s global technology standard.

Technology provider TPConnects has been chosen to provide the technology link between airline, service providers and customers to a new global standard. TPConnects Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Rajendran Vellapalath, said: “TPConnects is proud to work with Qatar Airways to facilitate the certification process and to be the first airline in the region to achieve the Level 3 Certification on the latest NDC standard. Travel Agents using TPConnects NDC Certified B2B Aggregator Platform and Booking Engine will be able to access Qatar Airways prices, inventory and fares directly, including ancillary and fare family content, using NDC Offers and Orders. TPConnects is committed to work with IATA to further implement NDC and to support the evolution of this new messaging standard.”

Qatar Airways was voted Skytrax ‘World’s Best Airline’ by travellers from around the world earlier this year. Qatar’s national flag carrier also won a raft of other major awards at this year’s ceremony, including ‘Best Airline in the Middle East,’ ‘World’s Best Business Class’ and ‘World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge.’

Qatar Airways operates a modern fleet of more than 200 aircraft to a network of more than 150 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, North America and South America. The airline is launching a host of exciting new destinations planned for the remainder of this year and 2018, including Canberra, Australia; Chiang Mai, Thailand and Cardiff, U.K. to name just a few.

Notes to Editors:

About Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, is celebrating 20 years of Going Places Together with travellers across its more than 150 business and leisure destinations. The world’s fastest-growing airline will add a number of exciting new destinations to its growing network in 2017/18, including St. Petersburg, Russia; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Canberra, Australia and many more, flying passengers on board its modern fleet of more than 200 aircraft.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was recently named ‘Airline of the Year’ by the 2017 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named ‘World’s Best Business Class,’ ‘Best Airline in the Middle East,’ and ‘World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge.’

Qatar Airways is a member of the oneworld global alliance. The award-winning alliance was named the World’s Best Airline Alliance 2015 by Skytrax for the third year running. Qatar Airways was the first Gulf carrier to join global airline alliance, oneworld, enabling its passengers to benefit from more than 1,000 airports in more than 150 countries, with 14,250 daily departures.

Oryx One, Qatar Airways’ in-flight entertainment system offers passengers up to 4,000 entertainment options from the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games and much more. Passengers flying on Qatar Airways flights served by its B787, A350, A380, A319 and select A320 and A330 aircraft can also stay in touch with their friends and family around the world by using the award-winning airline’s on-board Wi-Fi and GSM service.

Qatar Airways proudly supports a range of exciting international and local initiatives dedicated to enriching the global community that it serves. Qatar Airways, the official FIFA partner, is the official sponsor of many top-level sporting events, including the FIFA 2018 and 2022 World Cups, reflecting the values of sports as a means of bringing people together, something at the core of the airline’s own brand message – Going Places Together.

Qatar Airways Cargo, the world’s third largest international cargo carrier, serves more than 60 exclusive freighter destinations worldwide via its world-class Doha hub and also delivers freight to more than 150 key business and leisure destinations globally with more than 200 aircraft. The Qatar Airways Cargo fleet includes eight Airbus A330 freighters, 12 Boeing 777 freighters and one Boeing 747-8 freighter.

For further information, please contact:

Qatar Airways Group, Corporate Communications Department

Tel: +974 4022 2200
+974 4022 5350
qrmedia@qatarairways.com.qa

SOURCE: Qatar Airway