Saudia NDC: how agencies and developers access Saudi Arabian Airlines content
Certification history, the move to Orders on Amadeus Nevio, GDS NDC availability, and the ways to connect.
By the Tripgic team · Last updated
What is Saudia NDC?
Saudia NDC is Saudi Arabian Airlines’ IATA New Distribution Capability channel. IATA-accredited agencies use it, through an agent platform, an API or a GDS, to shop, book and service Saudia flights with seat maps, ancillaries, bundles and fare families.
Saudia was an early NDC mover in the region: IATA Level 3 in 2017 and Level 4 in 2019, described as the first airline in the Middle East and Africa to reach it. In 2025 it began running Orders on Amadeus Nevio, converting PNRs and e-tickets into single order records. See our plain-English guide to NDC for the standard itself.
Saudia NDC timeline: key dates
| Date | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 2017 | Saudia receives IATA NDC Level 3 certification, working with aggregator TP Connects, giving agents seat maps, ancillaries, bundles and fare-family displays. | source |
| Jul 2019 | Saudia reaches IATA NDC Level 4 (offer and order management including after-sales), described as the first airline in the Middle East and Africa to do so. | source |
| Dec 2023 | Saudia agrees to move from Amadeus Altéa to the Amadeus Nevio retailing platform, switching in stages. | source |
| Dec 2024 | Saudia extends its Amadeus distribution agreement to NDC content worldwide, with rollout on the Amadeus Travel Platform due from Q1 2025. | source |
| Jan 2025 | Saudia NDC content goes live on Sabre, the airline’s first NDC content in a GDS, for shopping, booking and servicing. | source |
| Jul 2025 | Saudia starts using Orders on Amadeus Nevio, converting existing PNRs and e-tickets into single order records. | source |
| Oct 2025 | Saudia renews with Travelport to add its NDC content to Travelport+; no go-live date given. | source |
| Sep 2026 | Saudia expands its partnership with Almosafer through NDC, bringing tailored fares, bundled ancillaries and dynamic pricing into Almosafer’s channels. | source |
In 2019 IATA-accredited agents registered for Saudia NDC at ndc.saudia.com; non-IATA agents were directed to Saudia sales offices.
Three ways to access Saudia NDC
You can connect to Saudia 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 Saudia | 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 | Saudia’s NDC API plus registration with Saudia | The GDS’s NDC workflow, separate from EDIFACT | One REST API; Saudia fares blended with GDS, NDC and LCC content |
| Airline changes (Altéa → Nevio Orders) | You track Saudia’s changes | 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 |
Saudia NDC vs GDS (EDIFACT) bookings
- No surcharge found: we found no Saudia surcharge on GDS bookings.
- Offers: NDC carries seat maps, ancillaries, bundles and fare families.
- Orders: Saudia is moving from PNRs and e-tickets to single order records on Amadeus Nevio.
- GDS NDC: live on Sabre since January 2025, with Amadeus and Travelport rollouts agreed.
How NDC differs from the GDS in general: NDC vs traditional GDS.
Frequently asked questions
What is Saudia NDC?
Saudia NDC is Saudi Arabian Airlines’ IATA New Distribution Capability channel. IATA-accredited agencies use it through an agent platform, an API or a GDS to book Saudia flights with seat maps, ancillaries, bundles and fare families.
Is Saudia NDC certified?
Yes. Saudia received IATA NDC Level 3 in June 2017 and Level 4 in July 2019, covering offer and order management including after-sales servicing.
Does Saudia charge extra for GDS bookings?
We found no Saudia surcharge on GDS bookings in published sources. Check Saudia’s current agency terms before relying on this.
Can I get Saudia NDC through a GDS?
Yes. Saudia NDC went live on Sabre in January 2025, its first GDS NDC launch. Its December 2024 Amadeus agreement set a rollout from Q1 2025, and an October 2025 Travelport agreement adds NDC to Travelport+ with no go-live date given.
How do I access Saudia through Tripgic?
Saudia is available through Tripgic. You integrate one REST API with sandbox credentials, and Saudia fares come back blended with GDS, NDC and low-cost carrier content in the same normalized JSON.
Sources
- Breaking Travel News — Saudia attains IATA NDC Level 3 (Jun 2017)
- AACO — Saudia achieves IATA Level 4 NDC certification (Jul 2019)
- AACO — Saudia to deliver a superior traveler experience with Amadeus Nevio (Dec 2023)
- Amadeus — Saudia extends distribution agreement to include NDC (Dec 2024)
- Sabre — Saudia launches NDC content on Sabre (Jan 2025)
- Aviation Business News — Saudia completes transition to Nevio (Jul 2025)
- Travelport — Saudia NDC integration (Oct 2025)
- TradeArabia — Saudia, Almosafer expand partnership with NDC (Sep 2026)
Other airline NDC guides
- British Airways NDC
- Emirates NDC
- Qatar Airways NDC
- Riyadh Air 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
Related
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Saudia fares alongside GDS, NDC and LCC content in one normalized REST API. Sandbox credentials at no charge.
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