Airline NDC guide · CX

Cathay Pacific NDC: how agencies and developers access Cathay Prime

Cathay Prime (NDC), market-by-market rollout, schema versions, GDS NDC availability, and the three ways to connect.

By the Tripgic team · Last updated 10 October 2026

What is Cathay Pacific NDC?

Cathay Pacific NDC is the airline’s IATA New Distribution Capability programme, renamed Cathay Prime (NDC) in 2025. Agencies use it to book Cathay flights with fare families, seat selection, special and tactical NDC-only fares, ticketing, exchanges and refunds, with no surcharge on any connection method.

Cathay piloted NDC on schema 15.2 from 2017, moved its NDC onto Amadeus Altéa NDC, and is launching Cathay Prime market by market: Thailand and Vietnam in 2025 and Hong Kong on 21 September 2026. Unlike several carriers, it does not surcharge GDS bookings. See our plain-English guide to NDC for the standard itself.

Cathay Pacific NDC timeline: key dates

Date	What changed	Source
2017–2020	Cathay runs an NDC pilot on schema 15.2 with Skyscanner, then Travelfusion.	source
Oct 2021	Amadeus announces Cathay NDC content on the Amadeus Travel Platform, building on Cathay’s use of Amadeus Altéa NDC, with bookings from Q1 2022 in several markets.	source
Jun 2022	Cathay extends its Sabre agreement to offer its NDC content in Sabre’s marketplace and joins Sabre’s Beyond NDC programme.	source
Dec 2024	Travelport and Cathay renew their agreement and begin building Cathay NDC into Travelport+.	source
Jun 2025	Cathay NDC launches in Thailand on 2 June 2025, with Vietnam and Singapore next.	source
Jun 2025	Cathay renames its programme Cathay Prime (NDC); Vietnam goes live on 7 July 2025 with more markets later.	source
Oct 2025	Cathay Prime content becomes available in the SabreMosaic Travel Marketplace via Sabre Red 360; Cathay says it is also live with Amadeus, Travelport and aggregators including Travelfusion and Verteil.	source
Apr 2026	IATA’s ARM registry lists Cathay NDC with verified messages for schemas 18.1 and 21.3 and core shop, order and pay capabilities live.	source
Sep 2026	Cathay Prime (NDC) goes live in Hong Kong on 21 September 2026 with no surcharge.	source

Cathay Prime launches market by market. Check the Cathay Agents NDC page for your market. Cathay Agents — Cathay Prime (NDC).

Three ways to access Cathay Pacific NDC

You can connect to Cathay Pacific 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 Cathay Pacific	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	Cathay Prime NDC flows plus onboarding with Cathay	The GDS’s NDC workflow, separate from EDIFACT	One REST API; Cathay Pacific NDC blended with GDS and LCC fares
Schema changes (18.1 / 21.3)	You migrate	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

Cathay Pacific NDC vs GDS (EDIFACT) bookings

No surcharge: Cathay says bookings through any connection method carry no surcharge.
NDC-only fares: Cathay periodically offers tactical fares bookable only through Cathay Prime (NDC).
Offers: fare families, seat selection and special fares, plus ticketing, exchanges and refunds.
Rollout: Cathay Prime is launching by market: Thailand and Vietnam (2025), Hong Kong (September 2026).

How NDC differs from the GDS in general: NDC vs traditional GDS.

Frequently asked questions

What is Cathay Prime (NDC)?

Cathay Prime (NDC) is Cathay Pacific’s NDC programme, renamed in June 2025. Agencies use it to book fare families, seat selection, special and tactical NDC-only fares, ticketing, exchanges and refunds.

Does Cathay Pacific charge a GDS surcharge?

No. Cathay’s trade NDC page says bookings made through any connection method carry no surcharge.

Which NDC version does Cathay Pacific use?

IATA’s ARM registry shows Cathay NDC verified on schemas 18.1 and 21.3, running on Amadeus Altéa NDC. Cathay says partners moved to 21.3 in 2025.

Can I book Cathay Pacific NDC in a GDS?

Yes. Cathay says Cathay Prime is live with Amadeus, Travelport and, since October 2025, Sabre, as well as aggregators such as Travelfusion and Verteil.

How do I access Cathay Pacific NDC through Tripgic?

Tripgic holds the Cathay Pacific NDC connection. You integrate one REST API with sandbox credentials, and Cathay 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

Other airline NDC guides

Sell Cathay Pacific NDC fares through one API

Cathay Pacific NDC, GDS and LCC content in one normalized REST API. Sandbox credentials at no charge.

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