Lufthansa Group is edging closer to its long-term ambition of a fully NDC-driven distribution model, with 50 per cent of all indirect bookings now made through New Distribution Capability (NDC) channels and corporate adoption gathering pace.
Speaking at an industry briefing today (Thursday), Lufthansa Group’s head of Regional Sales South-East Asia, Brendan Shashoua, said the airline had moved beyond simply implementing NDC and was now focused on creating tangible value for travel advisors, corporate customers and travellers.
“One out of five tickets sold through the indirect channel globally is already on NDC,” Shashoua said. “For us at Lufthansa Group, that figure is 50 per cent. NDC is no longer optional. It is here to stay.”
He said the transition was assisted by the view that Lufthansa is now an airline group, instead of a group of airlines which today also includes Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels and Eurowings.
Lufthansa Group’s NDC journey has accelerated significantly over the past two years. While early efforts focused on integrating servicing capabilities and closing functionality gaps beyond traditional EDIFACT systems, 2025 marked a major push into the corporate travel sector.
According to Shashoua, leisure travel proved the easier segment to transition, while corporate customers required solutions that accommodated approval workflows, reporting requirements and expense management systems.
“We worked closely with our TMC partners, corporate customers and technology providers to understand what was needed to drive adoption,” he said at the briefing at Sydney’s Pier One Hotel attended by technical trade in addition to travel advisors.
Hosted by Lufthansa Group general manager – Australia & New Zealand Nigel Bale, Shashoua was among speakers that also included TPCconnects Commercial Steve Hope, Product and Technology consultant Nathan Salhani from Sabre and accelya regional director Asia Pacific David Hill.
That NDC effort is now paying dividends. The Lufthansa brand, now in its 100th year, is reporting a clear uptick in corporate NDC adoption as more travel management companies deploy compatible solutions and corporations seek ways to reduce travel costs without cutting trips.
The airline cited industry research showing travellers can achieve average savings of more than 10 per cent through NDC-enabled content, thanks to dynamic pricing and differentiated fares.
For advisors, Lufthansa Group argues the benefits extend beyond pricing. NDC bookings generate an average three times higher ancillary attachment rate, creating opportunities to sell additional products and services.
Shashoua said Lufthansa Group’s growing NDC penetration means the airline can increasingly prioritise innovation on the channel rather than maintaining parallel development across legacy systems.
“If we develop a new feature on NDC today, we’re reaching more agents than if we developed it in the EDIFACT environment,” he said.
The carrier is now rolling out the full 24.1 NDC standard after previously operating a hybrid version and continues to expand functionality, including interline bookings with partners such as United Airlines, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines and Qantas.
For Australian agents, Lufthansa Group is also highlighting fare advantages available through NDC channels, including lower pricing, exclusive fare families and ancillary products unavailable through traditional booking systems.
The group’s broader distribution transformation is already well advanced. Including direct sales channels, 77.5 per cent of Lufthansa Group’s bookings now sit outside the traditional EDIFACT environment.
Looking further ahead, Lufthansa Group is preparing for the next evolution beyond NDC through “Offer & Order” technology, which aims to replace the industry’s fragmented ticketing, PNR and EMD structures with a single customer record.
For now, however, Shashoua says success will depend on what Lufthansa Group calls “radical collaboration” between airlines, technology providers and travel sellers.
“We need to sit in a room together, listen to concerns and find solutions that work for everyone,” he said. “That’s how we get to 100 per cent.”
