Discover how New Distribution Capability (NDC) is changing the way airlines sell. In just 5 hours, learn the essentials and practise real booking tasks in an interactive NDC simulation.
IATA Authorized Training Center · Course code TTC030ELEN01. Interactive e-learning with 6 months from purchase to complete the course and assessment.
Airline retailing is changing fast, and New Distribution Capability (NDC) is at the center of it. The IATA Distribution and Airline Retailing with NDC course (course code TTC030ELEN01), offered by Leaders Training Center in Doha, Qatar, is a short, interactive e-learning course that explains what NDC is, why airlines and agencies are adopting it, and what it means for your day-to-day work.
Delivered through media-rich animation, the course takes you on a journey in four stages:
Where distribution is today. You compare the two main ways airlines sell: direct to travellers through their own websites and apps, and indirectly through travel agents, Travel Management Companies (TMCs), call centers and other intermediaries.
Why a new standard was needed. You see the “capability gap”: airlines can show rich offers, bundles and extras on their own sites, but traditional indirect channels often can’t display them.
How NDC closes that gap. You learn how NDC standards let airlines send the same rich, personalised content to travel agents and booking engines, making ancillary sales easier through every channel.
What comes next. You explore innovations that are only possible in an NDC environment, including One Order and using loyalty data for business intelligence.
Along the way, the course clears up common myths about NDC and explains how it works alongside IATA’s Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP). It ends with a hands-on NDC simulation, so you leave with practical skills, not just theory.
For airlines, NDC means more control over how products are presented and sold. For travel agents, it means access to the same fares, bundles and extras travellers see on airline websites. For travellers, it means more choice, more transparent offers and a better booking experience, whichever way they choose to book. Understanding NDC is quickly becoming an essential skill for anyone who sells or services air travel.
When you complete the course, you will be able to:
Explain the strengths and limits of traditional indirect channels: how flight bookings are made and managed through agencies and intermediaries today, what works well, and where traditional technology falls short.
Describe how NDC strengthens airline retailing: how NDC lets airlines and online booking engines present richer offers, and why it makes selling ancillaries such as seats, bags and upgrades much easier.
Use new technology to improve the shopping experience: how NDC-enabled tools give self-service travellers clearer, more personalised and more comparable offers.
Anticipate the future of airline distribution: the value that the next generation of NDC, including One Order, will create for travellers, airlines, agencies and the wider travel industry.
You will also gain practical experience of an NDC booking flow, from the first customer enquiry through to changing or cancelling a booking.
The course has three learning units, followed by a hands-on NDC simulation.
Build a clear picture of how airline tickets reach the traveller today.
The airline distribution life cycle — how a flight product moves from the airline’s schedule to a confirmed booking and ticket.
Direct and indirect distribution — the two main routes to market and how they differ.
Direct distribution (B2C) — selling straight to consumers through airline websites, apps and call centers.
Indirect distribution (B2B) — selling through travel agents, tour operators and other intermediaries.
Metasearch engines — how comparison sites help travellers search and where they fit in the sales chain.
Travel Management Companies (TMCs) — what TMCs do and why they matter for corporate travel.
Understand the standard that is reshaping airline sales.
The distribution capability gap — why traditional indirect channels can’t show everything airlines offer.
What NDC is — IATA’s standard for richer communication between airlines and sellers.
Key NDC goals — more choice, transparency and personalisation across all channels.
How NDC works — how offers and orders flow between airlines, agents and booking tools.
Core features of NDC — rich content, dynamic offers and ancillary sales.
Benefits for the travel industry — what airlines, agencies and travellers each gain.
Dispelling the myths — separating facts from common misunderstandings about NDC.
NDC and BSP — how NDC bookings fit with IATA’s Billing and Settlement Plan.
Look ahead to where airline retailing is going.
NDC and new technologies — how NDC opens the door to more modern, flexible retailing.
One Order — the next step after NDC: simpler, unified order records for every booking.
Loyalty programmes and business intelligence — using loyalty data to understand customers and personalise offers.
The course ends with 10 guided activities that walk you through a complete NDC booking, just as you would handle it for a real customer.
Activity 1: Handle a new shopper enquiry and create a profile (understanding customer needs)
Activity 2: Search for flights and fares (finding the right options)
Activity 3: Explain product offers to the customer (presenting fare brands and extras clearly)
Activity 4: Compare offers with the customer (helping customers choose)
Activity 5: Communicate offers to the customer (sharing offers professionally)
Activity 6: Book a seat and issue the ticket (completing a sale)
Activity 7: Assign a seat number (seat selection)
Activity 8: Modify a reservation (servicing bookings after sale)
Activity 9: Modify ancillaries (adding or changing extras)
Activity 10: Cancel a reservation (handling cancellations)
A quick guide to the terms you will meet in the course.
NDC (New Distribution Capability): IATA’s standard that lets airlines send rich, personalised offers to travel agents and other sellers.
Direct distribution (B2C): an airline selling straight to the traveller, for example through its website or app.
Indirect distribution (B2B): an airline selling through intermediaries such as travel agents and tour operators.
Ancillaries: optional extras such as seat selection, extra baggage, meals or lounge access.
Metasearch engine: a comparison site that searches many sellers and sends the traveller to book with one of them.
TMC (Travel Management Company): an agency that manages business travel for companies.
BSP (Billing and Settlement Plan): IATA’s system for settling payments between travel agents and airlines.
One Order: an IATA initiative to replace multiple booking and ticket records with a single customer order.
This course is designed for anyone who sells, books or markets air travel.
Travel agents — access and explain richer airline offers, and sell more ancillaries to your customers.
Tour operators — understand how NDC content can be built into your travel packages.
BPO and call center staff — handle NDC bookings and customer requests with confidence.
Airline reservation and ticketing agents — understand how your airline’s offers reach agents and travellers through every channel.
Agency and airline marketing and sales staff — use NDC to create more personalised, competitive offers and campaigns.
No prior NDC knowledge is needed. The course starts with the basics of airline distribution, so it suits both newcomers and experienced professionals who want to update their skills. Short on time? At around 5 hours, it’s one of the quickest ways to get up to speed on NDC.
This is a self-study e-learning course, delivered online through media-rich, interactive animation. It takes about 5 hours to complete, depending on your previous knowledge and experience. You can study at your own pace, in short sessions or all at once.
Interactive e-learning modules covering all three units
Downloadable study guides (Advance Organizers) to support your learning and revision
A 10-activity NDC simulation for hands-on practice
An online final assessment, with 2 attempts
An IATA Award of Completion when you pass
Enrol with Leaders Training Center and receive your course access.
Study the three units at your own pace.
Practise in the NDC simulation.
Take the assessment online whenever you are ready.
Download your award once you pass.
You have 6 months from the date of purchase to complete the course and the assessment. After that, course access ends and the assessment can no longer be taken. Access also ends once you have completed the assessment.
Method: Online, unsupervised — take it any time
Format: 40 multiple-choice questions
Time allowed: 2 hours
Pass mark: 70%
Attempts: 2
Pass the assessment to receive an IATA Award of Completion that you can print for your records.
IATA Authorized Training Center — study an official IATA course with a recognised training partner.
Learn by doing — 10 simulation activities take you from shopper enquiry to cancellation.
Fast and focused — the essentials of NDC in about 5 hours.
Fully flexible — study online and take the assessment whenever you are ready.
Stay current — understand the distribution changes airlines and agencies are adopting now.
Support when you need it — our team in Nuaija, Doha, is here to help.
Travel agents taking NDC often continue with our IATA Foundation in Travel and Tourism with Amadeus course. Browse all IATA courses in Qatar.
New Distribution Capability is an IATA standard that lets airlines send richer offers, such as ancillaries and bundles, to travel agents and other sellers, not just through their own websites.
About 5 hours. You have 6 months from the date of purchase to finish it and take the assessment.
Yes. The course ends with an NDC simulation of 10 activities, from flight search to modifying and cancelling bookings.
Online and unsupervised, whenever suits you. It has 40 multiple-choice questions and a 2-hour time limit.
70% to pass. You have 2 attempts.
An IATA Award of Completion, which you can print for your records.
No. Access ends once you complete the assessment.
No. The course begins with how airline distribution works today, then builds up to NDC step by step.
No. A key aim of NDC is to give travel agents and other sellers access to the same rich offers airlines show on their own websites. The course covers this and other common myths.
One Order is IATA’s initiative to replace the separate booking, ticket and extras records with a single customer order. The course explains how it builds on NDC.
The course is delivered online as interactive e-learning. Contact us to confirm the devices and browsers supported.
You have 2 attempts at the assessment, as long as your 6-month enrolment is still valid.
Your access to the course ends and you can no longer take the assessment, so plan your study time early.
This is a short, focused e-learning course on one topic: NDC and airline retailing. It leads to an Award of Completion rather than the IATA Certificate awarded on our longer courses. It pairs well with our Foundation in Travel and Tourism with Amadeus course.
Tell us a little about yourself and an advisor will contact you about batch timings, fees and eligibility. No obligation.
Sat–Thu: 09:00–22:00Fri: 08:00–22:00
Fill in the form and the brochure (IATA Distribution and Airline Retailing with NDC — Course Brochure) downloads straight away. We will also send a copy by email.
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