The travel industry heavily relies on exchange of information with an increasing number of partners. It is essential that the systems in place support efficient communication between the airlines and their industry partners
This commercial necessity has led airlines to recognise the need for standards that can be used across industries. They mandated IATA to help them develop these standards within a number of functional areas:
- BSP Data Interchange Standard (DISH): Set of standard formats to support the reporting of passenger agency sales and ticketing data.
- Invoicing Standards: Development of industry invoice standards and commonly associated terms, definitions and codes to simplify the adoption of electronic invoicing in the air transport industry and deliver substantial benefits to airlines and their suppliers.
- Cargo Standards: Through IATA Cargo, the airlines aid the development of worldwide industry standards and procedures that ensure safe, quick and economic transportation of air cargo. Cargo standards span a variety of areas from electronic data interchange to regulations for the transport of live animals, perishables and dangerous goods. More on Cargo Standards and Procedures
- Fuel Data Standards: Developement of effective data exchange across the aviation fuel industry. Fuel Data Standards Workgroup.
- Passenger and Airport Data Interchange Standards (PADIS): Uses the UN/EDIFACT standards to develop Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) message standards related to airline passenger travel and airport related passenger service activities.
- Reservations Standards:Development of recommendations on all procedures and policy issues relating to reservations, ATA/IATA Reservations Interline Message Procedures - Passenger (AIRIMP) manual, and the IATA Reservation Services Manual. More info on the Reservations Committee page.
- Scheduling Standards: Development of an official set of recommended practices to guide the industry along mutually compatible lines for schedule data handling procedures.