As global airlines accelerate their shift toward NDC, African carriers are lagging far behind.
This is according to a survey by TPConnects and the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), outlining NDC adoption across the continent, based on insights from AFRAA member airlines.
High distribution costs, limited NDC adoption, and technical barriers are common challenges as most carriers are small to midsized, with 81% carrying fewer than two million passengers annually and 80% operating fleets of 15 aircraft or fewer.
According to the report, Africa’s Next Flight: Modern Airline Retailing Unlocked, over 90% of the respondents said they were currently not able to distribute via NDC. The results indicated that 48% had no NDC capabilities, 24% were planning to implement NDC, 21% were currently implementing NDC, while 9% were fully NDC-capable.
The report’s NDC implementation timeline revealed that 18% of African airlines planned to transition within a year, 28% within two to three years, 18% within four to five years, while 36% said they had no plans to transition to NDC in the next five years.
“The investment required for full NDC readiness can be hard to justify when profitability is low and digital demand is uneven. In Africa, this is compounded by infrastructure gaps, limited online booking penetration, and a distribution landscape still heavily reliant on traditional travel agents. It’s more practical to focus on network expansion, operational recovery, or cost containment. This doesn’t mean these carriers are standing still. Many are watching early adopters and some are already engaging with technology providers to explore phased, low-risk adoption strategies,” said Dare Olayiwola, an industry expert.
Airlines in the report said they lacked in-house expertise and faced constraints for large-scale IT projects, with 60% reporting difficulty integrating NDC with existing systems.
“This slower pace reflects real-world constraints: budget pressures, fragmented infrastructure, and differing commercial timelines. We believe adoption will accelerate as more African airlines see the commercial value and as the technology to support these transitions becomes more accessible and modular,” said Olayiwola.
GDS is unsustainable
High GDS and intermediary fees were cited as unsustainable, especially for smaller carriers, prompting a shift towards NDC, with 100% of respondents saying reducing distribution costs is a strategic priority. According to an airline executive in the survey, distribution costs are reducing profitability and slowing airline growth. Other top objectives include increasing direct sales (68%) and improving the customer experience (52%).
Despite this, GDS channels such as Sabre, Amadeus and Travelport still remain the most dominant distribution systems. “NDC adoption by African airlines has been fairly poor but I don’t see this as a priority. Negotiating better deals with the GDS systems to reduce their fees should be more important,” said an anonymous industry insider.
Impact on travel agents
As the international community moves ahead with NDC adoption, there is a growing risk that African travel agents could be left behind.
However, the anonymous source argues that well-established and widely used GDS frameworks remain strong enough to support the market. “I think that as long as the GDS systems are the best comparison-shopping site for agents, then agents are better off. The problem with many NDC implementations is that it goes out of agents’ normal workflow for booking, fulfilment and servicing,” he said.
According to Olayiwola, agents will not be left behind if they’re connected to a modern, multi-source marketplace but agents without access to these workflows may face growing challenges. “As more international airlines shift exclusive offers and ancillary bundles to NDC channels, legacy-only systems will struggle to keep up, leading to gaps in inventory, missed revenue opportunities, and a fragmented customer experience.”
The future of NDC
NDC momentum depends on scale and interoperability and Africa’s delay in adoption could affect global progress. “If key regions remain outside the ecosystem, it creates fragmentation. Travel agencies must manage dual/multiple systems, content becomes harder to standardise, and innovation slows down,” said Olayiwola.
However, he believes that Africa is a small piece of global air traffic and its delay will not derail the broader trajectory. “What matters more is ensuring African airlines and agencies are equipped to plug into the NDC ecosystem without having to rebuild everything from scratch.
“We’re seeing a cautiously optimistic trend. Larger carriers, such as Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways are making significant progress. Africa’s digital travel future doesn’t have to mirror other regions, in fact, it has the potential to leapfrog legacy models entirely. With the right infrastructure, smart partnerships, and targeted investment, African carriers can define a distribution strategy that reflects local realities and global ambitions,” said Olayiwola.
