Airline tech specialist Accelya has inaugurated a new supplier group designed to "accelerate practical, scalable adoption of New Distribution Capability," it announced on Monday at the Global Business Travel Association convention in Denver. Its inaugural partners include Sabre and American Express Global Business Travel.
Dubbed NDC FastTrack, the programme is open by invitation to "major travel sellers, corporate platforms and technology providers with proven reach and implementation at scale," and will provide resources for those parties and for corporate buyers, according to Accelya.
NDC FastTrack is not a commercial arrangement, Accelya added in a statement. "Rather, it is a shared commitment to accelerate modern airline retailing through collaboration, openness and a customer-first mindset," it said.
Resources to be rolled out in the coming months include shared roadmap coordination to align timelines, close functionality gaps and increase delivery transparency; implementation frameworks and technical guidance; use cases, case studies and proof points to highlight real-world adoption and outcomes; and joint enablement and training resources, according to Accelya.
"We're really trying to focus on how do we support systemwide alignment and readiness," Accelya chief customer success officer Tye Radcliffe told BTN. "With Sabre and Amex GBT, you're talking about global reach, technical expertise, and a shared commitment to scaling NDC. We're really excited about welcoming [them] as our first participants in NDC FastTrack, and of course we're looking forward to welcoming more companies to that as well."
Accelya last week announced in partnership with consultancy Temoji the Business Travel Innovation Group,
which comprises 20 corporate travel managers with the goal of providing
a "stronger voice in shaping NDC adoption and aligning solutions with
real-world managed travel needs."