NDC vs GDS for corporate flight bookings in India — what companies should know in 2026
By Diya Verma (Karthik Raghavan is a chartered accountant and business travel analyst who covers expense management, GST input credits, forex compliance and corporate booking strategy for Indian companies. He has advised startups and listed companies on travel-cost optimisation and DGCA passenger-rights compliance.) · Published · 10 min read
NDC is changing how airlines sell tickets to corporate buyers. For Indian companies booking through TMCs and GDS platforms, the shift affects pricing, content and booking workflows. Here is what you need to know.
Quick answer
NDC (New Distribution Capability) is a new way airlines sell tickets directly to travel agencies and corporate buyers, bypassing or supplementing the traditional GDS (Global Distribution Systems — Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport). For Indian corporate travellers, NDC means: some airlines offer lower fares or exclusive bundles through NDC channels, your TMC may need to support NDC connectivity, and the booking/change/cancellation workflow may differ from traditional GDS bookings. As of mid-2026, NDC adoption in India is partial — some airlines (Lufthansa Group, Air France-KLM, British Airways) have fully embraced NDC with GDS surcharges; others (IndiGo, Air India) distribute through both channels without significant pricing differences.
What GDS is and why it matters for corporates
GDS (Global Distribution System) is the backbone of corporate travel booking. When your TMC or travel desk searches for flights, they query a GDS — Amadeus, Sabre or Travelport — which aggregates inventory and fares from hundreds of airlines into a single searchable platform.
For corporate buyers, GDS has been the standard for decades because it provides: one platform to search all airlines, standardised booking and ticketing workflows, PNR management for changes and cancellations, integration with corporate expense tools and policy engines, and consolidated reporting across all airline bookings.
The limitation: GDS takes a booking fee from the airline (typically USD 2-10 per segment), and airlines have limited control over how their fares and bundles are displayed. This has driven airlines to develop NDC as an alternative distribution channel.
What NDC changes
NDC (New Distribution Capability) is an IATA-developed standard that allows airlines to sell directly to travel agents and TMCs through API connections, bypassing the GDS.
For airlines: NDC gives them more control over pricing, product presentation and bundling. They can offer richer content (photos of seats, bundle descriptions), dynamic pricing (personalised fares based on corporate agreements and traveller profile) and ancillary bundling (seat + bag + lounge as a single offer).
For corporate buyers: NDC can mean access to lower fares (some airlines offer NDC-only discounts to avoid GDS fees), more bundle options, and potentially personalised pricing based on your corporate agreement. The downside: NDC bookings may not be manageable through your existing TMC workflow if the TMC has not built NDC connectivity, and changes/cancellations may need to go through the airline directly rather than through the TMC's GDS tool.
Which airlines push NDC in India
Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Brussels): The most aggressive NDC adopters. They charge a GDS surcharge (EUR 16-21 per segment in some markets) for bookings made through GDS instead of NDC. For Indian corporate travellers flying to Europe via Frankfurt or Munich, this means NDC bookings through a compatible TMC can save EUR 16-42 per round trip.
Air France-KLM: Similar NDC push with content differentiation — some fare bundles (particularly promotional fares) are available only through NDC, not GDS.
British Airways / Iberia (IAG): Have implemented NDC with some content differentiation but are less aggressive on GDS surcharges than Lufthansa Group.
IndiGo, Air India, SpiceJet, Akasa: Indian carriers distribute through both GDS and direct channels without significant NDC-specific pricing or content differentiation as of mid-2026. IndiGo's direct booking site and API are effectively an NDC-like channel, though IndiGo also maintains full GDS connectivity.
For fare searches across all channels, use FlightGPT which aggregates fares from multiple sources.
Impact on Indian corporate TMCs
The TMC landscape in India is adapting to NDC at varying speeds:
Global TMCs (SAP Concur, TravelPerk, American Express GBT): Have built or are building NDC connectivity with major airlines. If your company uses a global TMC, NDC content should be available alongside GDS content in the booking tool.
Indian TMCs (ITILITE, myBiz, TripFactory Corporate): Adoption varies. Some have integrated NDC for Lufthansa Group and Air France-KLM; others still rely primarily on GDS or airline-direct API connections. Ask your TMC specifically about their NDC capabilities.
What to ask your TMC: (1) Do you have NDC connectivity with the airlines my company flies most? (2) Can I see both NDC and GDS fares side by side? (3) Can you service NDC bookings (changes, cancellations, refunds) through your platform, or do I need to go to the airline directly? (4) Are GDS surcharges passed through to my company or absorbed by you?
What Indian corporate buyers should do now
If you fly European carriers frequently: Ensure your TMC supports NDC for Lufthansa Group and Air France-KLM to avoid GDS surcharges. This can save EUR 30-80 per round trip on routes like Delhi to London or Delhi to Frankfurt.
If you fly primarily Indian carriers: NDC is not yet a significant factor. IndiGo, Air India and Akasa distribute through GDS without surcharges, and their direct booking sites offer the same fares. Focus on corporate rate negotiation and booking discipline rather than distribution channel.
If you are evaluating TMCs: Include NDC capability as a selection criterion. A TMC that cannot serve NDC content will increasingly leave money on the table as more airlines adopt NDC-exclusive pricing.
If you self-book: NDC is largely invisible to individual bookers. Booking directly on the airline website is effectively an NDC channel. OTAs like FlightGPT aggregate fares from both GDS and direct/NDC sources.
Frequently asked questions
What is NDC in airline bookings?
NDC (New Distribution Capability) is an IATA standard that allows airlines to sell tickets directly to travel agents through APIs, bypassing traditional GDS. It gives airlines more control over pricing and product presentation.
Does NDC affect flight prices for Indian corporate travellers?
For European carriers like Lufthansa, yes — they charge GDS surcharges that make NDC bookings cheaper. For Indian carriers (IndiGo, Air India), there is no significant pricing difference between NDC and GDS as of mid-2026.
Should Indian companies care about NDC?
If your employees frequently fly European carriers, yes — NDC can save EUR 30-80 per round trip by avoiding GDS surcharges. If travel is primarily domestic or to the Gulf on Indian carriers, NDC is not yet a significant cost factor.
Do Indian TMCs support NDC?
Adoption varies. Global TMCs generally support NDC for major airlines. Indian TMCs (ITILITE, myBiz) are building NDC capability but may not yet cover all airlines. Ask your TMC specifically about their NDC connectivity.