Air Canada today announced it has signed a letter of intent to participate in a blockchain-based, decentralized open-source travel distribution platform being developed by the Swiss start-up, Winding Tree.
The complexity of the current travel distribution landscape can deter new entrants and innovation in the distribution and sale of air travel products. Winding Tree intends to address this complexity by developing a decentralized, open-source platform for travel distribution to provide greater access to inventory directly from suppliers.
“We are pleased to be participating with Winding Tree in this innovative project for a new travel distribution channel,” said Keith Wallis, Director of Global Product Distribution for Air Canada. “As Canada’s largest airline, and a global leader in innovative airline distribution solutions, Air Canada recognizes the importance of leveraging this next generation technology. We plan to integrate Air Canada’s Direct Connect API with Winding Tree’s public blockchain platform, giving blockchain-savvy users the ability to access our content directly from the source.”
“As the first North American carrier to work with Winding Tree’s public blockchain platform, Air Canada is showing itself to be a real leader in innovation,” said Pedro Anderson, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Winding Tree. “We are excited to have their valuable collaboration in creating the ideal developer experience and their ongoing feedback along the way as we build an open environment for travel distribution.”