Ethiopian Airlines NDC: how agencies and developers access Ethiopian content
Level 3 certification, the Ethiopian NDC portal, recent NDC partnerships, and the ways to connect.
By the Tripgic team · Last updated
What is Ethiopian Airlines NDC?
Ethiopian Airlines NDC is the Addis Ababa-based carrier’s IATA New Distribution Capability channel, certified at IATA NDC Level 3 for offer and order management. Agencies connect directly after signing an NDC agreement with their local Ethiopian office, or through an aggregator.
Ethiopian’s NDC FAQ says it holds IATA Level 3 certification and runs NDC schema 17.2, with no usage, setup or integration fees for sellers. Since 2022 it has agreed NDC distribution with Travelport, and in 2025–2026 it adopted Accelya’s FLX Select, connected NDC sales to ARC Direct Connect and went live on AirGateway. See our plain-English guide to NDC for the standard itself.
Ethiopian Airlines NDC timeline: key dates
| Date | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2022 | Ethiopian Airlines signs a renewed distribution agreement with Travelport covering Travelport+ and a plan to give agents access to its NDC content and functionality. | source |
| Nov 2025 | Ethiopian becomes the first airline to connect to ARC Direct Connect through ARC’s new Transaction API, processing NDC transactions in real time. | source |
| Nov 2025 | Ethiopian adopts Accelya’s FLX Select NDC service to offer travel sellers richer offers and wider access to ancillary and bundled services. | source |
| Jan 2026 | Ethiopian signs with Nucore Technologies to strengthen its Agency Portal, giving partners NDC-based offers, ancillaries and hotel packages. | source |
| Oct 2026 | Ethiopian NDC content goes live on AirGateway for shopping, booking and servicing through BookingPad and the AirGateway API. | source |
Ethiopian’s NDC portal documents the API; sellers sign an NDC agreement with their local Ethiopian office or digital sales team before receiving test and production credentials. Ethiopian Airlines — NDC portal.
Ways to access Ethiopian Airlines content
You can connect to Ethiopian Airlines directly through its NDC API, through a GDS (traditional content), through NDC aggregators such as AirGateway, or through Tripgic.
| Ethiopian NDC (direct) | GDS | Aggregator (Tripgic) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Large agencies, TMCs and OTAs with IT resources that sign an Ethiopian NDC agreement | Agencies already working in a GDS | OTAs, B2B platforms and startups that want REST/JSON |
| What you build | Ethiopian’s NDC API (schema 17.2, Level 3), set up through the NDC portal and your local Ethiopian office | Traditional GDS (EDIFACT) workflow; NDC on Travelport+ was agreed in 2022 but we found no confirmed go-live | One REST API; Ethiopian Airlines fares blended with GDS, NDC and LCC content |
| Airline changes | You track Ethiopian’s NDC releases and schema upgrades | Handled by the GDS | Handled in Tripgic’s connector; your JSON stays the same |
| Other airlines | Ethiopian Airlines only | Full GDS content | Other NDC airlines, 3 GDS networks and 67 LCCs |
Official Ethiopian Airlines agent portal and access
The airline’s own starting point is Ethiopian Airlines — NDC portal. 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 Ethiopian Airlines fares alongside GDS, NDC and low-cost content in one REST API, so you can sell Ethiopian Airlines without a separate airline connection. See the flight booking API.
Also searched as: ET NDC, Ethiopian NDC portal.
Ethiopian Airlines NDC vs GDS (EDIFACT) bookings
- Servicing: Level 3 NDC covers offer and order management, including exchange, refund, void and seat selection.
- Fares: NDC gives access to all published fares and some private fares for authorised sellers; group bookings are not yet available over NDC.
- No platform fees: Ethiopian’s FAQ says its NDC platform has no usage, setup or integration charges.
- GDS surcharge: Ethiopian’s FAQ refers to a GDS surcharge that NDC lets sellers avoid, but we found no published amount.
How NDC differs from the GDS in general: NDC vs traditional GDS.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ethiopian Airlines NDC?
It is Ethiopian’s IATA NDC channel, certified at Level 3 for offer and order management. Its FAQ says it currently uses NDC schema 17.2, with upgrades planned.
How do agents connect to Ethiopian Airlines NDC?
Sellers sign an NDC agreement with their local Ethiopian office or digital sales team, or use “Join now” on the partner portal. A test account is set up, and production credentials follow once testing is complete; Ethiopian estimates 3 to 4 weeks.
Does Ethiopian charge for NDC access?
Ethiopian’s NDC FAQ says there are no usage, setup or integration charges. Sellers can negotiate commission with their local office or add a service charge, as set out in their agreement.
Is Ethiopian Airlines NDC available in a GDS?
Ethiopian agreed in August 2022 to bring its NDC content to Travelport+, but we found no confirmed go-live. Its NDC content is live through aggregators such as AirGateway, and its NDC sales settle through ARC Direct Connect.
How do I access Ethiopian Airlines through Tripgic?
Ethiopian Airlines is available through Tripgic. You integrate one REST API with sandbox credentials, and Ethiopian Airlines fares come back blended with GDS, NDC and low-cost carrier content in the same normalized JSON.
Sources
- Ethiopian Airlines — Ethiopian Airlines signs new distribution agreement with Travelport that includes NDC content and Rich Content & Branding participation (Aug 2022)
- ARC — ARC and Ethiopian Airlines partner on NDC through ARC Direct Connect (Nov 2025)
- Ethiopian Airlines — Ethiopian Airlines advances modern retailing with NDC using Accelya’s FLX Select (Nov 2025)
- Travolution — Ethiopian Airlines advances modern retailing (Nov 2025)
- Travel Daily News — Ethiopian Airlines partners with Nucore Technologies on digital transformation (Jan 2026)
- ATTA — Ethiopian Airlines goes live on AirGateway with NDC content (Oct 2026)
- Ethiopian Airlines — NDC FAQ
- Ethiopian Airlines — NDC portal
Other airline NDC guides
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Related
Sell Ethiopian Airlines fares through one API
Ethiopian Airlines fares alongside GDS, NDC and LCC content in one normalized REST API. Sandbox credentials at no charge.
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