When considering what makes up the air travel ecosystem (airlines, airport operators, government authorities, and other stakeholders), effective data exchange becomes mission critical, especially in the areas of conduct, security and other operational services. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), whose approximately 290 members account for 83% of total air traffic, set out to develop a modern open communications system where airlines and their partners can securely exchange and discover information in real time.
IATA’s new API Hub, powered by Rapid, builds on this activity and provides a platform that streamlines the way airlines connect to the modern world. By eliminating communication delays or incomplete information, historically managed by third parties, it allows airlines and their partners to collaborate in real time and build a healthy community of innovation across the travel industry.
As Muhammad Albakri, senior vice president, Financial Settlement and Distribution Services at IATA, noted, the Rapid and IATA partnership will have a significant and positive impact on how developers exchange information and create meaningful applications for the industry:
“APIs are broadly used in the travel industry, from providing offers to customers to baggage tracking to flight status notifications. The true value of this partnership stems from the ability to successfully discover APIs, facilitate connectivity and help build trusted relationships between API providers and API consumers so that they may quickly and efficiently bring new players and applications to the market.”
Once APIs based on open standards are adopted within the marketplace, it will bring greater transparency across all airline industry standards, including safety and efficiency efforts – truly transforming every aspect of the passenger experience. We’re thrilled to work with IATA as they launch the Open API Hub and create new digital experiences across the travel industry.
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