NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 12 – Afro Atlas, a Kenyan – based first travel aggregator in Eastern and Central Africa, has launched its New Distribution Capability (NDC) platform through a partnership with Lufthansa Group’s airlines; Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Euro wings.
As a participant in Lufthansa’s NDC partner program, Afro Atlas will get to the airline’s branded fares, bundles, ancillary product offerings, and price offers.
“We are very happy to launch Lufthansa Group NDC for the Eastern Africa market. This is part of our continuous efforts to offer the latest technologies to our travel partners in Africa and beyond,” said Afro Atlas CEO, Ahmed Ugas.
“The partnership with Lufthansa Group gives us access to their NDC content. NDC is a new technology which travel airlines are now using to sell their products to travel agencies. So, what we are doing is we are accessing their control directly so that our travel partners can also get those benefits.”
Ugas added that the partnership with Lufthansa group will facilitate financial and accreditation challenges of airlines and travel agencies in Africa, adding that those two are what formed the main constraints being faced by airlines and travel agencies.
“One of the reasons we decided to venture into this was because we have seen the challenge that African airlines are facing and also the challenges travel agencies in Africa are facing. Airlines in Africa to be on a Global Distribution System (GDS) they need a lot,” he said.
Speaking during the launch, Melford Ndung’u, Lufthansa Group representative said that the NDC enhances communication between airlines and travel agencies as well as other market players and help airlines to control their offer, to facilitate product differentiation, time – to – time market and access to full and rich travel content.
Also in attendance was Agnes Mucuha, CEO of Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA), and Anthony Ochieng’, CEO of Tour Operators Society of Kenya (TOSK), who highlighted the significance of the partnership for the local travel and tour operators who need a technology solution that can understand their priorities.
