IATA’s NewGen ISS
programme, which was due
to be launched in South
Africa in the first quarter of
2019, will now be launched in
the third quarter.
International agents
in early adoption areas
where the programme has
already been implemented
were complaining that late
Remittance Holding Capacity
(RHC) notifications were
resulting in their being shut
off from ticketing for days.
They claimed that there was a
three-day delay between when
an agent paid Iata and the
association updating that the
money had been received.
Iata provides notifications
whenever an agent reaches
50%, 75% and 100% of
its RHC, explains Aleks
Popovich, Iata’s senior vice
president, financial and
distribution services. He
says agents can also monitor
their RHC usage directly via
the Iata Customer Portal,
including the mobile app.
Aleks adds that these early
warnings should provide
ample opportunity for agents
to manage the risk of
being cut off from ticketing,
including making an advance
remittance or by switching
to an alternative form of
payment not subject to RHC.
Iata is currently working
on implementing swift
messaging files that would
allow it to recognise advance
remittances on an intra-day
basis to more quickly reflect
an agent’s RHC usage.
Aleks says although cash
sales are restricted when
an RHC limit is reached,
agents could continue
transacting through the
BSP using other forms
of payment such as Iata
EasyPay, customer cards and
agent cards (provided airline
consent is given).
Commenting about
agents being cut off from
cash ticketing due to RHC
notification messaging delays,
Otto de Vries, ceo of Asata
and chairman of the WTAAA
Air Committee, says it is
important for Iata not to place
businesses at risk unless it
is 100% certain that all its
notifications systems are
working.
Otto adds that Iata seems
to be taking the right steps
to address the remittance
problems. He says it is
vital for agents to keep Iata
updated with their contact
details to ensure that they
are receiving all relevant
programme updates.
