African Airlines Struggle to Keep Pace as NDC Rollout Hits Turbulence

Published on July 14, 2025

African Airlines Lag as Global Carriers Speed Up NDC Adoption The remainder of this news item is available to subscribers. A new Africa market readiness survey by TPConnects and AFRAA presents a harsh reality of the continent’s standing when it comes to modern airline retailing. For many, distributing locally is problematic because of high distribution costs, outdated infrastructures, and less technological resources. Even as international carriers fully embrace NDC to drive down costs and build a better experience, most African airlines are just beginning to figure out how to implement its basics. Here, we explain the nuanced factors driving this delay and what it means for the future of travel distribution in Africa.

NDC Adoption: Where Africa Stands

According to the survey, Africa’s Next Flight: Modern Airline Retailing Unlocked, more than 90% of AFRAA members currently do not have the capacity to distribute content over NDC. And just 9% are end-to-end approver NDC capable. 48% reported have no capabilities at all, 24% that they plan to adopt NDC and 21% are in the process of implementing NDC.

As a feature, 18% of the carriers plan to implement NDC within the next year, 28% in two to three years, and 18% in four to five years. Worryingly, 36% currently do not have any intentions to implement NDC over the next five years, a delay that has the potential to exacerbate the digital divide in the global aviation industry.

Why NDC Is Stalling in Africa

Here are some of the major challenges that keep African airlines from truly taking off:

Cost vs. Capability: Most African carriers are small or midsize, and 81% of carriers have fewer than two million passengers a year, while 80% have fewer than 15 aircraft. For some, it can be hard to justify NDC investment when profitability is uncertain.

Tech Limitations: Roughly 60 percent of the airlines surveyed said they grappled with NDC compatibility in their IT systems. Most have little or no in-house expertise and they often grapple with ageing infrastructure.

Market Realities: In markets where the penetration of digital booking still lags, airlines depend heavily on storefront travel agencies. This has made it difficult to pivot into direct-to-consumer, tech-driven distribution models.

Airlines won’t be rushing into complicated IT transformation but will instead focus their efforts on expanding networks and operations, and containing costs.

The GDS Dilemma

The most lucrative revenue generation is from Global Distribution Systems (GDS) such as Amadeus, Sabre and Travelport, even though most African airlines are heavily reliant on them. While we asked the question only in regard to sales of seats, pricing is top of mind across the airline for every airline surveyed. However, there is not yet a working NDC answer, in the meantime, GDS is their main channel.

“It’s a question of mind over wallet,” said one airline executive who declined to be identified discussing the issue, referring to the fact that while GDS fees are eating into profits, securing better terms is likely to be a more achievable goal than spending vast amounts on NDC systems. Boosting direct sales (68%) and improving customer experience (52%) also featured high on the priority list, but little progress has been made here without digital transformation.

Impact on Travel Agents

While the rest of the world works at implementing NDC, there’s a worry that African travel agents are being left behind. NDC helps airlines create unique packages, pricing and experiences. Airlines market share that GDS only agents will soon be locked out of.CASCADES_ABI_ERRORS_PROGRESSAirlineBrandImage.cadrona-me_vs_paper_sicAirlinesGDSresponsive_CHASEPayGroupspng’s WARNING!

However, not everyone is worried. GDS platforms still offer the widest array of comparison shopping and booking tools, said one industry insider, who added that this is why they are still relevant. This is something that many modern, multi-source platforms have adaptors for, but if your agents doesn’t then your agents will soon start dying!

What the Future Holds

Indeed, analysts concur that it will be scalable, modular solutions, which are adapted to local requirements that, ultimately, will secure NDC’s future in Africa. Africa “doesn’t have to follow the trajectory of Europe or North America,” as Stefan Olayiwola, an aviation analyst, says. African carriers may well be able to jump from cash-based distribution to efficient digital distribution models, fueling growth by investing in infrastructure and partnerships without the historical baggage of legacy systems.

Some big airlines are already leading the charge. Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways are already having more success and that marks a possible tipping point for the continent. Yet Africa accounts for only a minority of global air traffic, so this delay may not necessarily stymie global NDC momentum, but it may affect its own competitiveness.

Conclusion: Watch and Await, or March On?

African airlines are indeed cautious —but not standing still. Many still rely on traditional systems but the strategic will to slash distribution costs and enhance customer experiences is there. For the moment, they’re watching early adopters, experimenting with staged approaches and doing what they can to find the lowest risk approach to modern retail.

The African road to NDC will be slower, but not missing. As digital demand rises and more carriers experience the benefits directly, momentum may finally gather. The obstacle will be to produce solutions that are inexpensive, scalable, and compatible with Africa’s distinctive aviation environment.