Turkish Airlines holds workshop on NDC platform in Dhaka
Dhaka: Istanbul-based global carrier, Turkish Airlines, has held a workshop on its New Distribution Capability (NDC) platform, TK Connect, at a convention center in the capital on August 4.
The specially organized session, conducted by the airline's NDC Account Manager Umut Sertaç Yılmaz, drew over 300 travel agents from across the country and introduced the latest features, products, and business opportunities available through the NDC solution.
İslam Güre, Country Manager of Turkish Airlines in Bangladesh, formally unveiled the event with a welcome speech. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of the Bangladeshi market, noting that Turkish Airlines, as the only European carrier, is connecting Dhaka with an extensive network across the globe.
Underscoring the vital role of travel agency partners, Güre described them as the backbone of the carrier's distribution network. He said TK Connect represents the future of airline retailing by enabling agencies to access richer content, personalized offers, faster updates, and a smoother booking experience.
NDC Account Manager Yılmaz, then, delivered a comprehensive presentation on TK Connect, shared valuable insights on the NDC platform, presented a live demonstration, and engaged in an interactive Q&A session with the participants.
The New Distribution Capability, NDC, developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), is a travel industry-supported, XML-based data transmission standard. It enhances the capability of communications between airlines and travel agents and is open to any third-party intermediary, IT provider or non-IATA member, to implement and use.
The Turkish Airlines’ NDC platform TK Connect enables richer content, flexible offer creation, and clearer servicing pathways — through three different connection methods — UI, aggregator, or Direct API - tailored for varied business needs.
Additionally, Yılmaz said effective from May 1, a surcharge of USD 30 (or the equivalent in local currency) per ticket is applied to all reservations made through GDS EDIFACT channels, while the TK Connect does not charge any additional fees when ticketing transactions are made via the platform.
The event was later followed by a networking lunch and a quiz competition. Three lucky winners received exciting prizes from Turkish Airlines, with the grand prize winner receiving a return air ticket on the Dhaka–Istanbul–Dhaka route.
