Switzerland-based Blockchain Startup Winding Tree has announced that it is now working closely with the Lufthansa Group to bring the travel industry into the blockchain age. The developers say that this will result in a large number of new blockchain-based apps for travellers, who will be able to book Lufthansa flights via the offer that best suits their preferences.
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Markus Binkert
“Lufthansa Group has engaged in the development of APIs, for instance supporting IATA NDC standard, to offer a direct access to its offers to customers and distribution partners”, said Markus Binkert, Senior Vice President Distribution & Revenue Management Lufthansa Group Airlines. “By integrating these APIs with Winding Tree’s public blockchain Lufthansa Group enables all innovative partners who develop cutting-edge travel applications to access these offers via a decentralized and intermediate-free travel marketplace.”
In order to finance the initial development and facilitate acceptance by suppliers, Winding Tree is launching a token sale of its cryptocurrency 'Líf'. The startup says that to reinforce its confidence in the new technology, Lufthansa is even participating in the ICO pre-sale.
“The partnership with the Lufthansa Group will allow us to build blockchain-based travel apps which not only adhere to the requirements of airlines but we will be able to test these with Europe’s largest airline, further validating the efficiency and scalability of the platform. Lufthansa Group is setting an example for the travel industry,” said Maksim Izmaylov, founder and CEO of Winding Tree.
The connection to Winding Tree was established via the Lufthansa Innovation Hub. “As the digital spearhead of Lufthansa Group in the global startup ecosystem, the Lufthansa Innovation Hub is continuously on the lookout for startups and new technologies with the potential to significantly improve the way we travel tomorrow,” explains Dr. Christian Langer, Chief Digital Officer of Lufthansa Group. “To us, Winding Tree is a strong candidate to turn todays understanding of distribution upside down.”
