Global travel technology leader IBS Software has signed a multi-year Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to modernize how airlines design, price, and sell their products. The collaboration aims to reinvent the airline retailing ecosystem by replacing outdated systems with intelligent, adaptive technology built for the cloud era.
At the heart of this partnership is the launch of iRetail, an AI-first, cloud-native platform co-engineered by IBS Software and AWS. The platform is designed to help airlines transition from static pricing and legacy retail systems toward a fully dynamic, data-driven model powered by Artificial Intelligence.
Key Takeaways
- Partnership Focus: IBS Software and AWS are teaming up to modernize airline retailing through AI and cloud innovation.
- New Platform: The collaboration has produced iRetail, an AI-first, modular, cloud-native retailing solution.
- Core Function: iRetail covers the complete Offer–Order–Settle–Deliver (OOSD) cycle, managing every stage of an airline sale.
- Customer Experience: Built for hyper-personalization, iRetail constantly adapts to traveler behavior and intent.
- Technology Foundation: AWS provides the secure, scalable cloud infrastructure with 99.99% availability, ensuring reliability for mission-critical operations.
The Need for AI-First Retailing
Most airlines still depend on fragmented, legacy systems that struggle to deliver connected, personalized experiences. These older systems are often inflexible and slow, creating inefficiencies and limiting innovation. iRetail directly addresses these limitations.
Unlike traditional retailing tools, iRetail is AI-first by design—intelligence is embedded at the core of every process and interaction. Using IBS Software’s aviation retail expertise and AWS’s AI capabilities, the platform enables airlines to:
Build self-curating product catalogs
- Create real-time, personalized offers that anticipate customer intent
- Process autonomous, product-agnostic orders
- Manage self-regulating settlement systems
- Deliver intuitive, connected services across channels
According to Dorothy Creamer, Senior Research Manager at IDC, nearly 97% of travel and hospitality operators are now investing in or exploring AI, signaling a clear move toward intelligent, future-ready infrastructure. She noted that the collaboration gives iRetail “a strong foundation to quickly adopt next-generation functionalities, especially those driven by agentic AI capable of acting autonomously across complex workflows.”
Scaling and Co-Engineering for the Future
Under the Strategic Collaboration Agreement, IBS Software will continue to develop and scale iRetail globally, leveraging AWS’s robust infrastructure to ensure seamless performance across regions. This setup guarantees that airlines can operate mission-critical workloads with exceptional reliability and data security.
AWS will provide architectural guidance, technical expertise, and solution development support, ensuring that iRetail’s evolution remains rapid and adaptable. Both companies are also investing in a joint R&D roadmap aimed at unlocking new AI-first capabilities by 2027, through IBS Software’s AI & Data Centre of Excellence.
IBS Software’s CEO, Somit Goyal, emphasized that this initiative is not about layering AI onto outdated frameworks but rather embedding intelligence at the heart of airline retailing—across the Offer, Order, Settle, and Deliver lifecycle. “This approach,” he said, “sets a new benchmark for how AI can drive smarter, more responsive retail experiences for airlines and their customers.”
The partnership is expected to establish a new industry standard for modern airline retailing, defined by reliability, scalability, and true AI-driven personalization.
Related FAQs
What is airline retailing?
Airline retailing covers the systems and processes airlines use to design, price, and sell flight tickets, products, and services (like baggage or seat upgrades) across their websites, apps, and third-party channels. It represents the entire end-to-end sales process.
What does Offer–Order–Settle–Deliver (OOSD) mean?
OOSD is a modern framework for airline retailing that replaces traditional booking and ticketing systems:
- Offer: Creating a tailored product bundle (flight, seat, lounge access, etc.) for each customer.
- Order: Combining all purchases into one unified record—replacing fragmented PNRs or tickets.
- Settle: Managing financial transactions, payments, and reconciliation.
- Deliver: Fulfilling all purchased services efficiently.
How does AI change airline retailing?
AI-first platforms like iRetail don’t just automate tasks—they continuously learn from customer behavior. AI helps:
- Generate hyper-personalized offers and dynamic pricing in real time
- Predict traveler intent to improve conversion rates
- Automate OOSD processes, making retailing more agile and efficient
What is ‘agentic AI’?
Agentic AI refers to intelligent systems capable of autonomously acting on behalf of users or businesses. Rather than merely suggesting actions, these systems can execute complex operations—such as dynamically adjusting prices across multiple channels or managing entire customer journeys—without human oversight.
