Flybe has become the first regional airline in the world to be awarded International Air Transport Association level four New Distribution Capability certification.

This follows its initial implantation of the new NDC standard two years ago that enabled it to provide easy access to the entire value chain of business travel industry stakeholders in real time including making available its corporate and web fares to corporate buyers.

IATA provides the only official industry certification programme in support of the NDC standard, and Flybe was also one of the first carriers to achieve level three certification, which at the time was the highest level under the new NDC programme.

The status recognises that Flybe uses ‘Offer and Order’ management messages whose schemas are compliant with the standard NDC message schema, version 17.2.

It was awarded in the context of an NDC deployment in cooperation with Flybe’s NDC provider, Pribas.

Roy Kinnear, Flybe chief commercial officer, commented: “We are proud to once again become an industry-leader by being the first regional airline in the world to receive IATA NDC level four status. 

“This is another exciting development for Flybe. 

“It is a great move forward and makes it so much easier for more of our customers to benefit from having access to our best possible fares.”