Many of these likely to happen during the course of 2019, with Japan the latest country to secure its first-ever direct connect booking using IATA's New Distribution Capability protocol.
Tokyo-based travel agency F-ness issued the Lufthansa air ticket using a platform developed by Verteil Direct Connect.
The launch partner is expected to be first of a number of agencies to take NDC-facilitated air bookings this year.
Verteil says it hopes to "industrialize and scale" the ability to take bookings in Japan, a country with a vast network of intermediaries selling tickets for hundreds of domestic and international routes.
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The launch in Japan is considered a milestone for the ongoing roll-out and adoption of NDC given the size of the market.
Verteil Japan director, Tetsua Joko, says he expects the NDC debut for F-ness to trigger an expansion of the standard and protocol across the country.
IATA's vision for NDC puts adoption by agencies and airlines in the region of 20% by 2020.