Airlines Technology (AT), an IT solutions provider funded by Travel Startups, has signed a commercial agreement with British Airways as an interface between the airline and its passenger for creating seamless travel experience.

While ticketing aggregators and travel portals provide sketchy information about fares and schedules, Airlines Technology, working on the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) platform, would enable the passengers to pre-book and buy onboard services like wi-fi, food, extra legroom, priority boarding, preferred sitting, lounge access, special services like wine, entertainment, wheelchair, porters etc, Varun Bansal, Director, said.

This will also increase the airlines’ revenues with customised and personalised offers.

Airlines Technology Pvt Ltd, founded in June 2015, recently got funded by Travel Startups Incubator, an investment and advisory firm. “We are also in advanced stages of signing MoUs with three travel technology companies for joint business operations,” he said.

The number of global airline-related transactions is estimated to increase from 1.75 billion now to 3 to 4 billion by 2020. India is expected to be the third largest aviation market in the next 10 years, overtaking the UK, as per a forecast of IATA, which represents 265 airlines comprising 83 per cent of global air traffic.

Globally, IATA expected 7.2 billion passengers to fly by 2035, almost double the current number of 3.8 billion, thanks to factors like emerging middle class, diverging demographics and liberalisation of aviation markets.

Bansal said AT, whose business model is based on transaction-based commission, plans to engage with even small travel agents. “We would provide data analytics services and IT solutions to airlines and agents to help them become NDC compliant.”