Virgin Atlantic has signed a new distribution deal with Amadeus which also includes the airline’s future NDC-based fares and products.

The announcement of an expanded distribution agreement with Amadeus comes just weeks after Virgin Atlantic agreed a similar deal with fellow travel tech giant Sabre. 

The new agreement with Amadeus will allow travel agents and TMCs to continue accessing Virgin’s fares through the Amadeus Travel Platform, including the integration of the carrier’s future NDC-based content.

Juha Jarvinen, Virgin Atlantic’s chief commercial officer, said: “Amadeus Travel Platform provides the reach, scale and retailing capabilities to support our multi-channel distribution strategy. The travel seller community continues to play a key role for us.”      

Gianni Pisanello, Amadeus’ SVP, commercial, airlines, western Europe, added: “Extending our partnership with Virgin Atlantic means that we continue to deliver on our commitment of bringing the most comprehensive content and smooth booking management for our travel sellers, and at the same time support the airlines in their distribution strategy.”     

Airlines have been busy signing new agreements with the major GDS owners in recent months, including the ability to sell current and future NDC content as the industry looks to move away from distribution through legacy channels.

Some carriers, such as Air Canada, have recently chosen to levy fees on bookings made through legacy GDS EDIFACT channels. Meanwhile, American Airlines earlier this month removed access to around 40 per cent of its fares through EDIFACT channels.