Open-source, blockchain-based travel distribution platform Winding Tree has announced the completion of its first Hackathon, which brought together airlines, travel companies and blockchain developers to code solutions for the industry.
In what Winding Tree is calling an ‘unprecedented’ move, Air France KLM allowed external developers from other airlines and companies into its system, most notably using Lufthansa’s API.
Twelve teams with a total of 66 developers took part in the Hackathon. Winding Tree said it was impressed with how well all participants came together to help with each other’s projects “in the spirit of open innovation”.
The winning projects developed during the event include:
- Emergency Shelter – a ‘smart contract’ that allows people to offer their homes as emergency shelters during catastrophes or natural disasters, which was built entirely on Winding Tree’s platform
- Siesta – PMS integration – a functionality to integrate Winding Tree into hotel property management software
- Air France KLM – a flight search with a user interface (UI) using multiple APIs and Winding Tree
Pedro Anderson, COO and founder of Winding Tree, commented: “The Winding Tree team could not be happier with the outcome of our first Hackathon. It was amazing to see various airlines participating and sending their development teams to the Hackathon in order to promote bottom up innovation. The teams went way beyond any ideas we initially put on the table and came up with many well thought problems to solve that we didn’t think of. If that doesn’t show the benefit of open collaboration and building an open source software solution for the travel industry, then I don’t know what does.”
The Winding Tree platform allows developers within the travel industry to access its code and standards without restriction in order to create new platforms such as booking apps and hotel reservation systems.
In October, the company announced it was partnering with Air France KLM to develop blockchain-based tools for the travel industry.
Iris Taguet, head of Air France KLM’s blockchain programme, said: “I think that the bigger the Winding Tree ecosystem is going to be, the more benefit we’re going to get from the airlines, but also from other actors in the industry. I believe that the cooperation and exchange between the actors, between airlines facing different problems and having different views, different opinions on the problem – that’s what we call collective intelligence and that’s how we’re going to achieve the most.”
windingtree.com