Sabre claims that MCP is the new NDC. Has AI already started changing distribution rules?
Sabre is increasingly positioning the Model Context Protocol as the next big step in travel distribution. Almost 80 companies are already using or testing its MCP server, but the claim that it could replace NDC is for now more of a development direction than a finished standard shift.
„MCP is the New NDC“ is the message with which Sabre is trying to describe the next phase airline distribution. The ambition is clear: instead of an agent or traveller going through a series of traditional interfaces, AI should be able to understand a request in natural language, find the appropriate tool, and initiate a search, booking, or after-sales service.
Among the companies listed by Sabre are Virgin Australia, Flight Centre, Internova, Nexion, ALTOUR and Travel Leaders Network. Some of the projects are still in the pilot phase, while certain features are already in production.
A provocative message, but two different technologies
Comparison with the NDC attracts attention, but technically it is not entirely straightforward.
NDC NDC is the IATA standard for data exchange between airlines and sales channels. MCP, on the other hand, allows AI models to discover and use external tools, data, and APIs in a standardised way.
In Sabre's case, the MCP server connects the AI agent with functions within Sabre's ecosystem. The agent can interpret the request, select the required tool, and Sabre's infrastructure then handles the calls to search, pricing, booking or servicing systems.
Therefore, it is currently more precise to speak of a new access layer above the distribution rather than a direct replacement for the NDC.
The real test will be what happens after booking
For agencies and TMCs, the name of the technology itself is less important than the operational outcome. If AI agents can reliably handle modifications, fare rule checks, rebooking or other post-sales processes, some of the work that currently requires manual intervention could be automated.
Right there, Sabre sees one of the first concrete business impacts of MCP. The company claims that there are users who are already recording savings on bookings, although it has not published financial results.
Sabre is nevertheless not giving up on NDC. On the contrary, NDC remains part of its distribution infrastructure and SabreMosaic. Because of this, a model is more likely in the near future where NDC, Offers & Orders and existing APIs continue to operate in the background, while MCP becomes the layer through which AI agents access them.
If that proves scalable, the change for travel-tech industry It won't just be a new standard. It could change the very point at which a traveller, agent or business user enters the distribution system.
