Singapore Airlines Launches First New Distribution Capability Connection, With Skyscanner

Singapore Airlines (SIA) announced its first New Distribution Capability (NDC) connection, with travel search and booking site Skyscanner. Through this connection, customers will be able to book SIA flights more conveniently through the Skyscanner site.

NDC is an industry-supported standard introduced by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) which addresses some of the industry’s current inventory distribution limitations. It creates a more agile and efficient distribution system by supplementing the capabilities of third party channels to match those of the airline’s websites, thereby improving offerings for customers making bookings on such sites.

SIA’s NDC agreement with Skyscanner introduces a more direct way for customers to book flights. Customers who choose to purchase SIA flights through Skyscanner will now be able to do so directly, instead of having to be referred to the Singapore Airlines website to complete a booking¹ . Other capabilities such as the ability to select seats and the availability of personalised offers will be implemented progressively.

SIA recently obtained its Level 3 NDC Certification, which covers both Offer and Order management, under which an airline takes full control of the way fares are offered to customers as well as the booking, payment and ticketing processes once customers have chosen a fare that they wish to purchase. Moving forward, SIA will further develop its NDC capabilities to offer other ancillary services and personalised offers for its customers.

“We are pleased to be unveiling our first NDC connection, with Skyscanner, to provide more convenience to customers making flight bookings. With an NDC Level 3 Certification, we will also be seeking out even more connections with travel partners to improve distribution through SIA’s third-party sales channels,” said Mr Campbell Wilson, Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing.

“We are delighted to have partnered with Singapore Airlines to offer travellers the opportunity to search and book their fares seamlessly through the Skyscanner app and website. We believe our powerful direct booking capability is good for customers who can complete their booking with as little friction as possible, and good for airlines, giving our partners like Singapore Airlines the ability to showcase their up-sell options directly to the booking customer with a fully Singapore Airlines branded checkout flow. Our platform is compatible with any NDC-ready provider ensuring we are able to offer our Airline and Hotel partners industry-leading distribution options,” said Hugh Aitken, Senior Director Strategic Partnerships at Skyscanner.

“We congratulate Singapore Airlines on the launch of this NDC connection. With this achievement, Singapore Airlines is taking a major step toward transforming airline distribution, bringing more booking options to air travellers in preparation for the new era of airline retailing that NDC enables,” said Yanik Hoyles, IATA’s Director, NDC Program.

¹ Direct bookings on Skyscanner are currently limited pending testing but are expected to be rolled out progressively within the next few months.