Architecture & Technology Strategic Partnerships Program

Architecture & Technology Strategic Partnerships Summary

The Architecture & Technology Area of Involvement focuses on various aspects of interoperable data exchange and related technologies across multiple business areas.  

Architecture & Technology Strategic Partner Benefits

• Enhanced opportunity to engage with IATA subject matter experts and stay informed on developments relating to industry architecture, data exchange technologies and interoperable standards
• Stay informed of industry developments relating to data exchange standards, API frameworks, identity management, the Airline Industry Data Model (AIDM) and evolving airline retailing technologies
• Discounted rates on eligible standards-related publications and documentation, where applicable  
• Benefit from up to two free passes to attend the IATA World Data Symposium (WDS) with speaker opportunities New Benefit
• Have your company featured in the IATA Strategic Partnerships online directory
• Gain visibility by contributing to the quarterly Strategic Partnerships Newsletter, distributed to more than 14,000 aviation stakeholders
• Use the exclusive IATA Strategic Partner Recognition Stamp (logo)
• Secure priority booth locations and enhanced placement opportunities at IATA Events, ensuring maximum exposure to airline executives and industry leaders
• Access opportunities to join panel discussions and deliver presentations at IATA Events, positioning your company as a contributor to the air transport industry (subject to availability)
• Enjoy discounts across a broad range of IATA products and services, including IATA Training courses, publications, and selected advertising channels.

> More information is available on the Strategic Partnerships Program Benefits page

Architecture & Technology Strategic Partner Activities

The Architecture & Technology Strategy Board is one of the five management boards established by Resolution 009 under the Passenger Standards Conference (PSC), which combines the activity of the Passenger Services Conference and Passenger Tariffs Conferences. Each management board is an airline-only group overseeing the strategy and direction of standards development and implementation within a specific business domain. The board has the autonomy to create and disband groups to work on specific areas of standards.  
Each board may also have an advisory forum, where key stakeholders can meet with board member airlines to discuss issues around standards development and implementation.  

The Architecture & Technology Strategy Board is responsible for interoperability and quality of data exchange standards published under the authority of the Conference; and acts as an architecture and technology strategy advisor to other standards boards and to the steering group.

In addition, the Architecture & Technology Strategy Board manages the methodology for documenting business requirements and developing and generating data exchange standards. It also oversees the maintenance of the Airline Industry Data Model (AIDM); and maintains standards and best practices necessary for consistent and interoperable implementation of data exchange standards and related technologies across multiple business areas supported by the Conference. 

Groups under each Board may be created or disbanded by the Board at any time, but an up-to-date list of active groups is available online.  

Access to meetings and working groups are subject to individual group terms of reference. 
 

Change Management and AIDM Integration Working Group

The Change Management and AIDM Integration group is responsible for the maintenance of an integrated AIDM intended as a central repository to store business requirements, data and message models; and generate all data exchange specifications including messaging standards, as well as developmental (alpha release) and candidate (beta release) messaging standards. The group also maintains the data modelling methodology applied by the various boards under the PSC to develop data exchange standards through the AIDM. Members of the group should have experience in business and information analysis and architecture.

Identity Management Working Group

The Identity Management group is responsible for developing modern identity management standards, architecture and implementation guide to support the business standards and existing coding regimes. The group works within the guidance of the IATA Digital Transformation Advisory Council, leveraging W3Cs verifiable credentials and decentralized identifiers standard as a starting point. Members of the group should be familiar with decentralized identity management technologies and implementations. 

Open API Working Group 

The Open API group develop and agree industry data communication standards, best practices and implementation guide, based on open technology standards, including but not limited to REST API (Application Programming Interface), Event API, GraphQL, AsyncAPI standards and best practices, with the focus to ensure consistency and interoperability in the implementation of Data Exchange Standards. Members of the group should have experience in technology architecture and/or information security.

Offer and Order Technical Standards Support Working Group 

The OOTSSWG develops and maintains IATA Offer and Order data exchange standards that enable interoperable implementation of modern airline retailing, ordering, payment, settlement, and delivery processes. Acting as a technology standards support group under IATA Resolution 009, it translates business requirements defined by multiple passenger standards working groups into consistent, architecturally aligned data exchange standards and implementation guidance. The group ensures standards integrity across the end‑to‑end Offer and Order lifecycle, works in close coordination with the Architecture and Technology Strategy Board, and integrates all relevant artifacts into the IATA Airline Industry Data Model (AIDM). Its outputs are endorsed by the relevant standards boards and progressed for formal adoption through IATA governance.

Business Architecture Working Group  

The BAWG develops and maintains the industry's business architecture framework for passenger services, including business capability models, value chains, and process models. The group promotes consistency and interoperability across aviation domains, facilitates cross-functional alignment, and provides a common foundation for the development and evolution of industry standards. 

Focus Areas

• Architecture
• Technology 
• Data modelling

Designed for

• Aviation industry service providers
• Global Distribution Systems (GDSs)
• Technology providers
• Experts from the API standard and technology community  
• Airline value chain partners  
• Other suppliers