Korean Air NDC: how agencies and developers access Korean Air content
The Accelya FLX partnership, the status of Korean Air’s NDC launch, its GDS content, and the ways to connect.
By the Tripgic team · Last updated
What is Korean Air NDC?
Korean Air NDC is the South Korean flag carrier’s planned IATA New Distribution Capability channel, to be built on Accelya’s FLX platform and NDC offering under a February 2024 agreement. We found no confirmed general launch date; Korean Air content is sold today through GDSs such as Amadeus and Travelport.
Korean Air runs on Amadeus Altéa and distributes full content through GDSs including Amadeus and Travelport. It set up an NDC task force around 2020, chose Accelya FLX in February 2024, and has moved its planned NDC launch more than once, with Korea named as the first market. See our plain-English guide to NDC for the standard itself.
Korean Air NDC timeline: key dates
| Date | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| May 2011 | Korean Air agrees to move its passenger service systems to Amadeus Altéa; it already distributes through the Amadeus GDS. | source |
| Dec 2012 | Korean Air signs a full content agreement with Amadeus and plans to move to the full Altéa suite in 2014. | source |
| Sep 2020 | Korean Air renews a multi-year content agreement with Travelport, keeping its fares available to more than 68,000 Travelport-connected agencies. | source |
| Mar 2023 | Korean Air plans to connect its NDC API with major Korean travel agencies and OTAs in the first half of 2024, after forming an NDC task force around 2020. | source |
| Feb 2024 | Korean Air selects Accelya’s FLX platform, integrating Accelya’s NDC offering and FLX-Merchandising for direct and indirect channels. | source |
| Nov 2024 | Korean Air’s NDC launch, first planned for the end of 2024, is reported as moved to June 2025, with Korea as the priority market. | source |
We found no Korean Air NDC portal or published agent registration process.
Ways to access Korean Air content
Korean Air content is available through GDSs (traditional content) and through aggregators. A direct Korean Air NDC connection has been planned but we found no confirmed public launch.
| Korean Air NDC (direct) | GDS | Aggregator (Tripgic) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Not yet generally available; first planned for major Korean agencies and OTAs | Agencies already working in a GDS | OTAs, B2B platforms and startups that want REST/JSON |
| What you build | Korean Air’s planned NDC API, built on Accelya FLX | Traditional GDS (EDIFACT) workflow; full content in Amadeus and Travelport; no Korean Air GDS NDC announced | One REST API; Korean Air fares blended with GDS, NDC and LCC content |
| Airline changes | You track Korean Air’s NDC releases | Handled by the GDS | Handled in Tripgic’s connector; your JSON stays the same |
| Other airlines | Korean Air only | Full GDS content | Other NDC airlines, 3 GDS networks and 67 LCCs |
Korean Air NDC vs GDS (EDIFACT) bookings
- Status: we found no confirmed general Korean Air NDC launch; GDS remains the main agency channel.
- Technology: Korean Air chose Accelya’s FLX platform, NDC offering and FLX-Merchandising to create and personalise offers across channels.
- GDS content: Korean Air has full content agreements with Amadeus and Travelport.
- No published surcharge: we found no Korean Air surcharge on GDS bookings.
How NDC differs from the GDS in general: NDC vs traditional GDS.
Frequently asked questions
What is Korean Air NDC?
It is Korean Air’s planned NDC channel, built on Accelya’s FLX platform under a February 2024 agreement. Korean Air has said Korea will be its first NDC market.
Has Korean Air launched NDC?
We found no confirmed general launch. Korean Air first aimed for the first half of 2024, then the end of 2024, and a launch was later reported as moved to June 2025. We found no confirmation that it went live.
Who is Korean Air’s NDC technology partner?
Accelya. In February 2024 Korean Air chose Accelya’s FLX platform, including its NDC offering and FLX-Merchandising module, which run on Accelya and AWS technology.
Is Korean Air available in a GDS?
Yes. Korean Air has full content agreements with Amadeus and Travelport. We found no announced Korean Air NDC launch in Amadeus, Sabre or Travelport.
How do I access Korean Air through Tripgic?
Korean Air is available through Tripgic. You integrate one REST API with sandbox credentials, and Korean Air fares come back blended with GDS, NDC and low-cost carrier content in the same normalized JSON.
Sources
- Business Travel News Europe — Amadeus signs up Korean Air for Altea (May 2011)
- Travolution — Amadeus inks deal with Korean Air (Dec 2012)
- GTP Headlines — Korean Air extends multi-year content agreement with Travelport (Sep 2020)
- Travel Times (Korea) — Korean Air joins the NDC wave, plans API links with major agencies next year (Mar 2023)
- Travolution — Accelya signs new partnership with Korean Air to modernise retailing (Feb 2024)
- Accelya via AAP — Accelya FLX Platform to deliver strategic retail modernization for Korean Air (Feb 2024)
- Travel Biz Talk — Korean Air’s NDC journey, June 2025? (Nov 2024)
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
- Air France-KLM 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
- Air Canada NDC
- Delta Air Lines NDC
- Virgin Atlantic NDC
- Japan Airlines NDC
- ANA NDC
- Thai Airways NDC
- Vietnam Airlines NDC
- SriLankan Airlines NDC
- Ethiopian Airlines NDC
- Royal Jordanian NDC
- EgyptAir NDC
- LATAM Airlines NDC
- China Southern Airlines NDC
Related
Sell Korean Air fares through one API
Korean Air fares alongside GDS, NDC and LCC content in one normalized REST API. Sandbox credentials at no charge.
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