NP-SP-11 · Schedule Publication & GDS Loading

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Process Flow Diagram (BPMN)

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L4 Process Steps

Step	Step Name	Role / Swim Lane	System	Input	Output	KPI	Dec?	Exc?
Phase 1 1.1	Initiate seasonal schedule freeze in SkyWORKS	Schedule Planning Manager	Amadeus SkyWORKS	Board-approved seasonal schedule (IATA season S26/W26)	Frozen schedule record with freeze timestamp and version lock	Schedule frozen ≥330 days before season start per IATA standard	N	N
1.2	Validate schedule against airport slot constraints	Slot Coordination Analyst	IATA CRS (Coordinated Reservation System)	Frozen schedule from SkyWORKS, IATA slot declarations for coordinated airports	Slot validation report with conflict flag per airport	100% slot compliance achieved before SSIM generation; zero unresolved conflicts at freeze	Y	Y
1.3	Resolve slot conflicts and revalidate schedule	Slot Coordination Analyst	Amadeus SkyWORKS	Slot validation report listing conflicting departure/arrival windows	Revised schedule with adjusted slot times, resubmitted to IATA CRS	Slot conflict resolution within 5 business days of detection	N	Y
Phase 2 2.1	Generate SSIM Chapter 7 file from frozen schedule	Schedule Data Analyst	Amadeus SkyWORKS	Validated, slot-compliant frozen schedule	SSIM Chapter 7 flat file (.ssim) containing all flight records for the season	SSIM generated within 2 hours of freeze confirmation; file size validated within expected range	N	N
2.2	Validate SSIM file against IATA format standards	Schedule Data Analyst	OAG Schedule Analyser	Generated SSIM Chapter 7 file	SSIM validation report detailing field-level errors, warnings, and record counts	Zero format errors before transmission; validation run completed in <30 minutes	Y	Y
2.3	Correct SSIM errors and regenerate file	Schedule Data Analyst	Amadeus SkyWORKS	SSIM validation error report with specific record and field references	Corrected SSIM file ready for re-validation	Correction and regeneration cycle completed in ≤4 hours per iteration	N	Y
Phase 3 3.1	Submit validated SSIM to OAG for GDS distribution	Distribution Coordinator	OAG Schedule Analyser	Validated SSIM Chapter 7 file with zero format errors	OAG submission confirmation with distribution ticket ID and estimated processing completion time	SSIM submitted to OAG ≥12 months before season start for initial seasonal load; re-submissions within 4 hours of correction sign-off	N	N
3.2	Monitor Sabre GDS schedule ingestion and loading	Distribution Coordinator	Sabre GDS	OAG distribution confirmation, Sabre loading status feed	Sabre loading confirmation report; discrepancy log if mismatches detected	Sabre schedule parity ≥99.5% within 72 hours of SSIM submission	Y	Y
3.3	Monitor Travelport GDS schedule ingestion and loading	Distribution Coordinator	Travelport GDS	OAG distribution confirmation, Travelport Apollo/Galileo loading status	Travelport loading confirmation report across Apollo and Galileo sub-platforms	Travelport schedule parity ≥99.5% within 72 hours; Apollo/Galileo consistency 100%	N	Y
3.4	Monitor Amadeus GDS schedule loading across all PCCs	Distribution Coordinator	Amadeus GDS	OAG distribution confirmation, Amadeus PCC propagation status	Amadeus parity report; consolidated GDS parity sign-off across Sabre, Travelport, and Amadeus	Amadeus schedule parity ≥99.5% within 72 hours; full PCC propagation confirmed within 96 hours	Y	Y
Phase 4 4.1	Publish schedule to NDC API Gateway for OTA partners	Digital Distribution Analyst	NDC API Gateway	Validated SSIM, approved fare inventory from Amadeus NRM	NDC offer catalog updated; API endpoint live for OTA and metasearch partners	NDC schedule availability within 4 hours of SSIM freeze confirmation; API offer response latency <200ms at P99	N	Y
4.2	Update airline.com booking engine via Altéa PSS	Digital Distribution Analyst	Amadeus Altéa PSS	Published SSIM, live fare inventory, NDC offer catalog	Live schedule displayed in airline.com booking flow with correct availability and pricing	Direct channel schedule accuracy 100%; booking engine page response time <3 seconds; availability parity with GDS within 1 hour of schedule publication	Y	Y
Phase 5 5.1	Execute cross-channel schedule parity audit	Revenue Integrity Analyst	OAG Schedule Analyser	Published schedules from Sabre GDS, Travelport GDS, Amadeus GDS, NDC API, and airline.com; master SSIM as reference	Cross-channel parity audit report with discrepancy log (flight number, date, affected channel, nature of mismatch)	Cross-channel schedule parity ≥99.8% within 5 business days of initial load; audit covering 100% of new and changed flights	Y	Y
5.2	Issue SSIM delta file and re-submit for channel correction	Schedule Data Analyst	Amadeus SkyWORKS	Parity audit discrepancy log with channel-specific mismatch details	SSIM delta file (update and cancel records) re-submitted to OAG; correction tracking ticket raised per affected channel	Critical corrections (cancellations, departure time changes >15 min) re-distributed within 4 hours; all corrections confirmed propagated within 48 hours	N	Y
5.3	Notify Revenue Management and activate NRM inventory	Schedule Planning Manager	Amadeus Revenue Management (NRM)	Final published schedule, parity audit sign-off document	NRM inventory controls activated for all new and changed flights; RM team notified with flight list and opening load factors	NRM inventory activation within 24 hours of schedule publication sign-off; 100% of new routes activated before booking opening date	N	N

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Process Attributes

Identification

Process IDNP-SP-11

L1 DomainNetwork Planning & Scheduling

L2 ProcessSchedule Planning

L3 NameSchedule Publication & GDS Loading

L4 Steps15 across 5 phases

Decision Gates6 (all with iteration loops)

Exceptions11 documented

Swim Lanes (Roles)

Schedule Planning Manager

Slot Coordination Analyst

Schedule Data Analyst

Distribution Coordinator

Digital Distribution Analyst

Revenue Integrity Analyst

Systems & Tools

Amadeus SkyWORKSIATA CRS (Coordinated Reservation System)OAG Schedule AnalyserSabre GDSTravelport GDSAmadeus GDSNDC API GatewayAmadeus Altéa PSSAmadeus Revenue Management (NRM)

Key Performance Indicators

Initiate seasonal schedule freeze in SkyWORKSSchedule frozen ≥330 days before season start per IATA standard

Validate schedule against airport slot constraints100% slot compliance achieved before SSIM generation; zero unresolved conflicts at freeze

Resolve slot conflicts and revalidate scheduleSlot conflict resolution within 5 business days of detection

Generate SSIM Chapter 7 file from frozen scheduleSSIM generated within 2 hours of freeze confirmation; file size validated within expected range

Validate SSIM file against IATA format standardsZero format errors before transmission; validation run completed in <30 minutes

Correct SSIM errors and regenerate fileCorrection and regeneration cycle completed in ≤4 hours per iteration

Submit validated SSIM to OAG for GDS distributionSSIM submitted to OAG ≥12 months before season start for initial seasonal load; re-submissions within 4 hours of correction sign-off

Monitor Sabre GDS schedule ingestion and loadingSabre schedule parity ≥99.5% within 72 hours of SSIM submission

Airline-Specific Risks & Pain Points

Late commercial decisions (new routes, frequency changes) force freeze date slippage, compressing the GDS loading window and risking incomplete availability at booking opening

Slot-constrained airports (LHR, JFK, CDG, NRT) require manual bilateral negotiation; automated IATA CRS checks surface conflicts but offer no resolution path, requiring scheduler intervention

Slot swaps require bilateral agreement with competing carriers; absence of a multilateral slot exchange platform means resolution depends on ad-hoc email negotiation with slot coordinators

Complex codeshare and interline agreements require precise segment-level carrier attribution in SSIM records; errors in marketing vs. operating carrier fields cause booking failures across all GDS channels

IATA SSIM Chapter 7 format is field-position-exact; minor field-length violations or non-standard aircraft type codes cause full file rejection by GDS ingest pipelines, requiring a complete regeneration cycle

Root cause of SSIM errors often lies in upstream schedule attributes (equipment codes, operating carrier flags); manual correction risks introducing new errors without an integrated diff-check tool

Inputs / Outputs

Primary InputBoard-approved seasonal schedule (IATA season S26/W26)

Primary OutputNRM inventory controls activated for all new and changed flights; RM team notified with flight list and opening load factors

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