Navan's Emirates Deal Accelerates Shift in Corporate Air Travel

PALO ALTO, CA – January 12, 2026 – Business travel platform Navan has finalized a direct integration with premier global carrier Emirates, a move that provides its corporate clients with exclusive access to the airline's full suite of fares and services. The partnership leverages New Distribution Capability (NDC), a modern data standard that is rapidly reshaping how airlines sell their products, signaling a significant acceleration in the corporate travel sector's move away from legacy booking technologies.

This direct connection allows Navan to bypass traditional Global Distribution Systems (GDS), the decades-old intermediaries of the travel industry. For travelers and travel managers using the platform, this translates into tangible benefits, including access to special fares, premium cabin services, and ancillary products that are not available through older channels. The integration underscores a broader industry power shift, as airlines seek greater control over their distribution and tech-forward travel management companies (TMCs) race to deliver a more modern, retail-like booking experience.

A Strategic Leap in Travel Technology

Navan's partnership with Emirates is a cornerstone of its aggressive strategy to lead the corporate travel market in NDC adoption. With this latest addition, the platform now boasts direct NDC connections with 24 global airlines, including major players like United Airlines, American Airlines, and the Lufthansa Group. The company reports that nearly one-third of all flights booked on its platform are now sourced via an NDC connection, a figure that starkly contrasts with the broader corporate travel segment, where adoption has been historically slower.

While the leisure travel market has more quickly embraced NDC, the corporate world has lagged due to the technological complexity and fragmented systems within many established TMCs. Recent industry data, however, shows this is changing. According to the Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC), NDC transactions accounted for over 18% of all its settled transactions in 2024, a notable jump from just over 7% two years prior. Navan’s focus on direct integrations places it at the vanguard of this trend.

“Adding a premier global carrier like Emirates to our direct NDC portfolio is a landmark moment for our customers,” said Dane Molter, SVP of Navan Group Travel Marketplace, in a statement. “NDC remains a cornerstone of our marketplace strategy — we believe it provides a fundamentally better user experience than legacy systems and we will keep investing in direct integrations. This partnership means our travelers get access to the best of Emirates, all within the simple, modern Navan platform they know and love.”

This tech-forward approach is becoming a key differentiator in a competitive landscape. Competitors like Corporate Travel Management (CTM) have also highlighted their early adoption of NDC, promoting measurable savings for clients. The race is on to build the most comprehensive and seamless content hub, and Navan's latest move with a globally recognized premium airline like Emirates solidifies its position as a formidable player.

Unlocking Exclusive Perks and Real Savings

For the end-user—the business traveler—the shift from abstract technology to practical benefits is what truly matters. The Navan-Emirates integration delivers precisely on this front by unlocking a level of service and choice previously reserved for booking directly with an airline. Corporate clients now have access to exclusive economy fares and special promotions that are walled off from legacy GDS channels.

Beyond fares, the partnership deeply integrates Emirates' premium service offerings. Travelers can seamlessly book and manage the airline's complimentary chauffeur-drive service for First and Business Class bookings, purchase baggage add-ons, and select seats directly within the Navan platform. This eliminates the common frustration of having to visit a separate airline website to manage key aspects of a trip booked through a corporate tool.

Furthermore, the integration promises enhanced self-service capabilities. Navan emphasizes that trip changes, cancellations, and refunds for Emirates bookings will be fully automated, providing a consistent and efficient experience that mirrors its other NDC connections. This automation is a critical advantage for travel managers seeking to reduce administrative friction and empower travelers to manage their own itineraries within policy.

These enhancements are not just about convenience; they carry significant financial implications. Industry analyses, including Navan’s own NDC Savings Index, have shown that leveraging NDC can cut ticket costs by anywhere from 3% to over 16%. By providing access to more fare options and bundled corporate deals, the technology enables companies to optimize their travel spend without sacrificing traveler experience.

The Broader Shift Away from Legacy Systems

The Navan-Emirates deal is a microcosm of a massive, industry-wide transformation. Airlines are aggressively pushing for NDC adoption to regain control over their product offerings, reduce costly distribution fees associated with GDS channels, and boost ancillary revenue. The ability to merchandise products dynamically—offering personalized bundles of seats, baggage, and lounge access—is a core tenet of modern airline retailing that NDC enables. The results are compelling: some carriers like British Airways have reported a nearly 40% higher attachment rate for ancillary products on NDC bookings compared to traditional reservations.

The global airline NDC solutions market, valued at over USD 3 billion in 2024, is projected to nearly triple by 2033, reflecting the immense investment pouring into this technology from all sides. Airlines are increasingly creating incentives for adoption, either through exclusive content, as seen with Emirates, or by imposing surcharges on bookings made through outdated channels. This carrot-and-stick approach is effectively forcing the hands of TMCs and their corporate customers to modernize.

This evolution is creating a new, more complex distribution ecosystem. Instead of a single source of truth, TMCs must now aggregate content from multiple sources: traditional GDS, direct NDC connections, and other third-party aggregators. The winners in this new era will be the platforms that can seamlessly integrate this fragmented content, apply corporate policies consistently, and present it all in a simple, intuitive interface for the traveler. This integration work is the heavy lifting that defines the value of a modern TMC, shielding the user from the immense complexity happening behind the scenes.