Air France-KLM NDC: how agencies and developers access AF and KL content
The GDS surcharge, NDC-only fares, GDS NDC availability, the move to Offer and Order, and the three ways to connect.
By the Tripgic team · Last updated
What is Air France-KLM NDC?
Air France-KLM NDC is the IATA New Distribution Capability channel for Air France (AF) and KLM (KL). Agencies use it to book both airlines with bundles, rich media, personalised offers and NDC-only fares, without the surcharge the group applies to GDS EDIFACT tickets.
Air France-KLM added a GDS surcharge in April 2018, raised it repeatedly, and moved its promotional and short-haul Light fares to NDC only. In 2025 it chose Amadeus Nevio for MOON, a multi-year move to native Offer and Order. See our plain-English guide to NDC for the standard itself.
Air France-KLM NDC timeline: key dates
| Date | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2017 | Air France-KLM announces a surcharge on tickets booked through GDS channels from 1 April 2018; NDC connections and the airlines’ own channels are exempt. | source |
| Nov 2017 | The group’s agent FAQ sets the surcharge at €11 per direction (£10 / US$13), collected under the YQ code. | source |
| Sep 2020 | Air France-KLM and Amadeus sign an NDC agreement covering the Amadeus Travel Platform, with pilot bookings from Q4 2020. | source |
| Mar 2022 | The legacy GDS surcharge stands at €13 per one-way ticket and is extended to corporate bookings that do not use NDC. | source |
| Jan 2023 | Air France-KLM NDC content goes live on Travelport+, including shopping, booking, servicing and private fares. | source |
| Apr 2023 | Promotional fares have left GDS channels (January 2023), and short- and medium-haul Light fares with a minimum stay become NDC-only from June 2023. | source |
| Jul 2024 | The EDIFACT surcharge for leisure agencies rises from €21 to €24 per direction (it was €11 in 2018). | source |
| Nov 2024 | Business travel agencies with an NDC Transition Agreement get a reduced €3 GDS surcharge from 1 January 2025; others stay at €24. | source |
| Feb 2025 | Air France-KLM picks Amadeus Nevio for MOON (Moving to Offer and Order Native), a multi-year move based on IATA ONE Order. | source |
| May 2025 | Sabre turns on Air France and KLM NDC content in Sabre Red 360 and its Offer and Order APIs. | source |
| May 2026 | The business-agency EDIFACT surcharge stays at €4 until 31 December 2026; about half of French agency bookings now go through NDC. | source |
Most recent surcharge figures come from the French market and differ by agency type. Confirm current terms with Air France-KLM.
Three ways to access Air France-KLM NDC
You can connect to Air France-KLM directly, through a GDS that carries its NDC content, or through an NDC aggregator. The right choice depends on your engineering capacity and how many airlines you sell.
| Direct to Air France-KLM | GDS NDC | Aggregator (Tripgic) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Large agencies and TMCs with their own NDC engineering team | Agencies already working in a GDS desktop or GDS API | OTAs, B2B platforms and startups that want REST/JSON |
| What you build | The Air France-KLM NDC API plus onboarding with the group | The GDS’s NDC workflow, separate from EDIFACT | One REST API; Air France-KLM NDC blended with GDS and LCC fares |
| Group fee and Offer and Order changes | You track them | Handled by the GDS | Handled in Tripgic’s connector; your JSON stays the same |
| Other airlines | One integration per airline | NDC carriers that GDS supports | Other NDC airlines, 3 GDS networks and 67 LCCs |
Air France-KLM NDC vs GDS (EDIFACT) bookings
- Surcharge: EDIFACT tickets carry a per-direction surcharge (€24 for leisure agencies from July 2024; €4 for business agencies with a transition agreement in 2026).
- NDC-only fares: promotional fares and short- and medium-haul Light fares with a minimum stay are sold through NDC only.
- Offers: bundles such as lounge access, Wi-Fi or Fast Track, rich media and personalised offers come through NDC.
- Next step: the MOON programme moves the group to native Offer and Order on Amadeus Nevio.
How NDC differs from the GDS in general: NDC vs traditional GDS.
Frequently asked questions
What is Air France-KLM NDC?
It is the NDC channel for Air France and KLM. Agencies use it to book both airlines with bundles, rich media, personalised offers and NDC-only fares, without the surcharge on GDS EDIFACT tickets.
How much is the Air France-KLM GDS surcharge?
It started at €11 per direction in April 2018. For leisure agencies it rose to €24 per direction in July 2024. Business agencies with an NDC Transition Agreement paid €3 from January 2025 and €4 in 2026. These figures come largely from the French market.
Does Air France-KLM have NDC-only fares?
Yes. Promotional fares left GDS channels in January 2023, and short- and medium-haul Light fares with a minimum stay became NDC-only from June 2023.
Can I book Air France-KLM NDC in Amadeus, Sabre or Travelport?
Yes. Travelport+ has carried it since January 2023 and Sabre since May 2025. Amadeus signed an NDC agreement in September 2020 with pilot bookings from late 2020.
How do I access Air France-KLM NDC through Tripgic?
Tripgic holds the Air France-KLM NDC connection. You integrate one REST API with sandbox credentials, and Air France and KLM NDC offers come back blended with GDS and low-cost carrier fares in the same normalized JSON, with no per-airline NDC certification on your side.
Sources
- Travolution — Air France-KLM to impose GDS booking surcharge (Nov 2017)
- Air France KLM — External FAQ on Distribution Surcharge and NDC (Nov 2017)
- Air France-KLM — Agreement with Amadeus to enable modern retailing through NDC (Sep 2020)
- PhocusWire — Air France-KLM to surcharge legacy GDS corporate bookings (Mar 2022)
- Travelport — Air France-KLM NDC content now available through Travelport (Jan 2023)
- Business Travel News Europe — Air France and KLM to withdraw some fares from GDS (Apr 2023)
- L’Echo touristique — Surcharge GDS : nouveau report décidé par Air France-KLM (May 2025)
- L’Echo touristique — Air France diminue la surcharge GDS (Nov 2024)
- Air France-KLM — Partnership with Amadeus to accelerate modern airline retailing (Feb 2025)
- Sabre — Sabre expands NDC reach with Air France and KLM (May 2025)
- DéplacementsPros — Air France prolonge la surcharge NDC à 4 € (May 2026)
Other airline NDC guides
- British Airways NDC
- Emirates NDC
- Qatar Airways NDC
- Riyadh Air NDC
- Saudia NDC
- Etihad Airways NDC
- Turkish Airlines NDC
- Lufthansa Group NDC
- Singapore Airlines NDC
- American Airlines NDC
- United Airlines NDC
- Qantas NDC
- Cathay Pacific NDC
- Iberia NDC
- Finnair NDC
- Air India NDC
- Biman Bangladesh Airlines NDC
- flydubai NDC
- Gulf Air NDC
- Oman Air NDC
- Malaysia Airlines NDC
Related
Sell Air France-KLM NDC fares through one API
Air France-KLM NDC, GDS and LCC content in one normalized REST API. Sandbox credentials at no charge.
Book a kick-off call