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Delta Air Lines NDC: how agencies and developers access Delta content

Delta’s NDC strategy and design partners, its GDS agreements, the launch timeline, and the ways to connect.

By the Tripgic team · Last updated

What is Delta Air Lines NDC?

Delta Air Lines NDC is the airline’s IATA New Distribution Capability solution for travel sellers, built with design partners Accelya, ARC, IATA and Google. Delta has said it will hold a public launch once it is ready, and it has said it is ready to launch by the end of 2026.

Delta reached IATA NDC Level 3 on schema 18.1 in 2018, set out its current NDC strategy in April 2024 and signed new agreements covering NDC content with Sabre, Travelport and Amadeus later that year. It has said it has no plans to remove fares from EDIFACT channels or add surcharges to drive adoption. See our plain-English guide to NDC for the standard itself.

Delta Air Lines NDC timeline: key dates

DateWhat changedSource
Oct 2018Delta achieves IATA NDC Level 3 certification on standard 18.1; with Virgin Atlantic it is the first global airline partnership to do so.source
Apr 2024Delta outlines its NDC strategy with design partners Accelya, ARC, IATA and Google, and says it has no plans to remove fares from EDIFACT or add surcharges.source
Aug 2024Delta signs a multi-year Sabre agreement covering EDIFACT fares and its upcoming NDC content; GDS integrations are planned to begin in the first half of 2025.source
Sep 2024Travelport says it will offer Delta’s NDC content on Travelport+ once Delta begins offering it.source
Oct 2024Amadeus and Delta sign a multi-year distribution agreement; Delta plans to make its NDC solution available to all Amadeus-connected agents.source
Aug 2026Delta says it is ready to launch its NDC programme by the end of 2026, with agreements with Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport.source

Delta publishes agency news and policies on its Delta Professional site; we found no separate public Delta NDC registration portal. Delta Air Lines — Delta Professional (agency and corporate site).

Ways to access Delta Air Lines content

You can connect to Delta Air Lines directly through its NDC API, through a GDS, or through an aggregator.

Delta Air Lines NDC (direct)GDSAggregator (Tripgic)
Best forAgencies and TMCs that join Delta’s NDC programme as it rolls outAgencies already working in a GDSOTAs, B2B platforms and startups that want REST/JSON
What you buildDelta’s NDC API, once available; Delta has started live testing with agenciesTraditional GDS (EDIFACT) workflow; Delta NDC in Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport+ is agreed but not yet launchedOne REST API; Delta Air Lines fares blended with GDS, NDC and LCC content
Airline changesYou track Delta’s NDC releasesHandled by the GDSHandled in Tripgic’s connector; your JSON stays the same
Other airlinesDelta Air Lines onlyFull GDS contentOther NDC airlines, 3 GDS networks and 67 LCCs

Official Delta Air Lines agent portal and access

The airline’s own starting point is Delta Air Lines — Delta Professional (agency and corporate site). Travel agencies use it to read the airline’s agent policies and distribution rules and to contact the airline about access. Access is granted by the airline itself, usually only to accredited agencies, and a direct connection still needs your own integration.

Tripgic returns Delta Air Lines fares alongside GDS, NDC and low-cost content in one REST API, so you can sell Delta Air Lines without a separate airline connection. See the flight booking API.

Also searched as: DL NDC, Delta NDC.

Delta NDC vs GDS (EDIFACT) bookings

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Delta Air Lines NDC?

It is Delta’s NDC solution for travel sellers, built with design partners Accelya, ARC, IATA and Google. Delta has said it is ready to launch it by the end of 2026.

Is Delta NDC live?

Delta has said it will hold a public launch once it is ready, with a target of the end of 2026. We found no announced public launch date.

Does Delta charge a fee on GDS bookings?

No surcharge has been announced. In April 2024 Delta said it had no plans to remove fares from EDIFACT channels or add surcharges to drive NDC adoption.

Will Delta NDC be available in a GDS?

Delta has distribution agreements covering NDC content with Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport. We found no confirmed live launch of Delta NDC in any of them.

How do I access Delta Air Lines through Tripgic?

Delta Air Lines is available through Tripgic. You integrate one REST API with sandbox credentials, and Delta Air Lines fares come back blended with GDS, NDC and low-cost carrier content in the same normalized JSON.

Sources

Other airline NDC guides

Related

Sell Delta Air Lines fares through one API

Delta Air Lines fares alongside GDS, NDC and LCC content in one normalized REST API. Sandbox credentials at no charge.

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