On May 12, 2025, the Lufthansa Group invited attendees to the exclusive NDC Partner Forum in Zurich. In the inspiring premises of the Bluelion Startup Hub, industry experts, partner airlines, technology partners, as well as numerous Travel Managers gathered to discuss the current state and further development of the NDC standard. TravelBrain attended the event under various flags. On this occasion, we were also present on behalf of Primus Publishing / Travel Inside / Business Traveltip. This article was published in the Business Traveltip newsletter and is also available on the AboutTravel website.
Julia Wetter-Studinka, Head of Region Sales Switzerland, and Puck Voorneveld, Head of Distribution & Payment Transformation, jointly provided a comprehensive insight into the overarching strategy, current developments, and next steps of the airline group. It became clear how determined the Lufthansa Group is to modernize its distribution channels, streamline processes, and create new added value for partners.
Julia Wetter-Studinka also mentioned that they are well aware that not everything is as advanced as desired. They are mindful of the concerns and discussions within the industry and have also taken note of the recent survey in Travel Inside and the corresponding comments. At the same time, the Lufthansa Group is pleased with the intermediate goals already achieved on the way to 100% NDC implementation. Not only in the leisure sector (close to 50% NDC bookings), but also among Travel Management Companies, increasing figures (>10% NDC bookings) are being recorded, with a rising trend.
Puck Voorneveld emphasized that they are aware the previous developments have mainly catered to the leisure sector. The topic of ‘servicing’ has been neglected, which has left the corporate travel sector less than optimally covered. The year 2025 is set under the motto ‘NDC @Corporate.’ In the meantime, more than 600 LHG help desk agents have been trained on NDC, and the agent chat on SPRK has been improved. Since February, NDC interlining with United Airlines has also been enabled, with Air Canada and Singapore Airlines set to follow later this year. Additionally, LHG has launched a supportive ‘go-to-market approach’ and developed a value calculator for corporate clients. Starting in 2026, they intend to consistently implement 100% NDC in indirect sales.
Alexandra Goga, Head of Distribution Application & Tech Provider Management, showcased several insights into the NDC ecosystem from the Lufthansa Group’s perspective in a short technology deep dive. She illustrated how airlines, aggregators, TMCs, and corporate customers themselves play important roles in successfully advancing the NDC topic. She also highlighted the intensive work being done on ‘processing ancillary services,’ ‘splitting individual travelers,’ and ‘group bookings.’
At the end of the introductory presentations, the three Lufthansa experts were available to the audience in the room and online via Slido to answer questions. Critical inquiries revealed how deeply the audience had already engaged with the NDC topic.
In two subsequent blocks, some of the most important technology partners took the stage to explain their approach to NDC and the current state of development. It quickly became clear that all partners face the same shortcomings of the various NDC versions in use. Their contributions offered not only technical insights but also strategic perspectives on the further development of digital distribution in the business travel sector. It also became evident that all providers are working intensively to expand their offerings and are ready to rapidly introduce new functionalities once airlines make them available. Stefan Angst from Amadeus stated that the development of NDC is not a sprint but rather a marathon.
Steffi Wee and Remi Beecroft from Travelfusion demonstrated that the provider supplies the content for the majority of low-cost airlines to around 90% of all Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) and Online Booking Engines (OBEs). Additionally, more than 60 airlines already offer their NDC content via Travelfusion.
Amadeus, represented by Stefan Angst and Ilija Ganopolski, openly discussed the ongoing challenges due to the varying development stages of airlines and the NDC versions and APIs in use. Nevertheless, both were convinced that the direction is right and momentum has been gained. Ilija highlighted that NDC fares are also available in Cytric Easy. As novelties, they announced the Amadeus Smart PNR and the NDC Fare Finder.
During a short networking break, participants had the opportunity to exchange ideas with the speakers and make new contacts.
In the second block, Luigi Tiberio and Alexis Rochat from Spotnana started the session. They clarified that Spotnana is not just a booking platform but a comprehensive solution for TMCs and their clients. In the new ‘Spotnana Cloud for TMCs,’ agents, travel managers, bookers, and travelers work on a single platform. NDC fares are integrated from various sources. The secret behind the name ‘Spotnana’ was also revealed.
Dennis Christiani and Holger Haag from SoftConEx demonstrated the entire end-to-end booking process using Faremaster NG. A single display combines NDC fares, GDS-Edifact fares, and prices from direct-connect integrations. The data comes from their own aggregator TravConnex as well as GDS systems. Additionally, SoftConEx offers services for process and fulfillment automation.
AERTICKET technoly, represented by Oleksii Murovtsev and Andreas Gantenbein, explicitly sees itself not as a direct provider for corporate clients. As one of two global content aggregators operating in over 100 markets, AERTICKET offers extensive NDC integrations. The Cockpit application is mainly used by leisure agencies, but smaller TMCs are increasingly relying on it. AERTICKET is also working intensively on servicing functionalities – rebookings, cancellations, refunds, and more should soon be automated.
The partner presentations concluded with Oscar Castano, Senior Product Manager at Travelport. Travelport has already integrated numerous airlines with NDC content – among them the Lufthansa Group and other key carriers for the DACH market. The roadmap includes, among other things, the integration of Lufthansa’s Allegris offering, true re-shop, a brand attribute upgrade, and improvements in flight disruption management.
All presenters were available for short Q&A sessions with Julia Wetter-Studinka after their presentations, providing an opportunity to delve deeper into the topics and clarify detailed questions.
At the end, Julia Wetter-Studinka and Puck Voorneveld summarized the key points, thanked the partners, speakers, and audience for their engagement, constructive criticism, and stimulating discussions. The central question was no longer ‘What is NDC?’ but ‘How do we bring NDC to life together?’ The subsequent networking aperitif on the rooftop terrace offered a relaxed atmosphere for in-depth conversations, experience sharing, and new contacts – envisioning an exciting future for distribution.
