Air India, the Tata Group-backed former national carrier, has announced an agreement for a multi-year ticketing distribution with Singapore-based global travel technology provider Sabre. The agreement will enable travel sellers worldwide to access Air India inventory and fares through Sabre’s Global Distribution System (GDS), while creating optimal networks plans for Air India’s existing and future aircraft.
GDS systems, such as Amadeus and Travelport, are used by airlines to distribute tickets to travel agents around the world for a fee. This deal between Air India Sabre allows travel agents, corporations and corporations from around the world access to Air India fares through Sabre’s extensive global travel market.
Air India will also use Sabre’s consultancy services to optimize route planning for its existing fleet and new ones. In a joint statement, Air India and Sabre shared details on how they will collaborate for advanced network planning. Sabre will provide Air India with consultative services, including an in-depth evaluation of the market, the development and implementation of new hubs and schedules, detailed planning of the route network and capacity for a 10-year period, and the optimization of fleet assignment throughout its system. The value of this deal was not disclosed.
Air India said that the expertise in Sabre’s Bengaluru capabilities centre will provide close support to its innovation and transformation journey.
Air India decided to stop distributing its content via the Sabre GDS after a successful relationship of 20 years in January 2020. Air India, the former national carrier, chose a deal with Amadeus with a discounted premium in order to reduce its operating costs.
This integration will enable travel sellers to access AFKL’s advanced NDC content directly through NDC-based comprehensive Booking Engine portal and universal NDC apis. The airline group announced that bookings made through Air France and KLM’s NDC channel will not be subject to a surcharge compared to bookings made via legacy GDS channels.
On reviving partnership with Sabre, Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial & Transformation Officer, Air India said the airline is delighted to have re-establish and enhance its relationship with Sabre at this transformative time for Air India, and the wider Indian travel marketplace. The Indian travel market has returned and is booming. This long-term global distribution partnership will support our ambitious growth plans while paving the ground for our transition towards a more dynamic, merchandising-focused model, designed to unlock the value of Air India’s products and services,” he said.
Aggarwal said that the new GDS deal with Sabre would help Air India to become more competitive in the global aviation arena. “We are excited to be working with Sabre’s highly-skilled consultancy team to develop a long-term network strategy. We’re also happy that we’re coming together again under a GDS agreement. We are confident this will strengthen Air India’s position in our domestic & international routes and look forward to closer collaboration in the coming years,” he further mentioned.
Roshan Mendis is the Chief Commercial Officer of Sabre Travel Solutions. He said:
“We believe Air India will benefit from having access to and reaching out to Sabre’s worldwide network of travel agencies as well as our route planning expertise.”
“And our travel agency partners around the world and in India will benefit greatly from having Air India’s services and products available.”
