Jason Sui wants to move airlines beyond basic connectivity and he’s already got the early proof points to back it up
Jason Sui, Divisional CEO of Flight Services at DerbySoft, has spent years in the trenches of flight distribution, first building PKFARE, a leading global travel wholesaler, and now architecting the Global Data Network (GDN) for Flights. His thesis is straightforward, saying connectivity was only ever half the job.
“While existing distribution models, whether GDS or flight aggregators, have enabled basic connectivity, airlines still have very limited visibility into traveller behavior in indirect channels, which makes it difficult to optimize offerings,” he says. “We believe the next evolution of distribution is a new category on top of connectivity, one that incorporates data and an intelligence layer. In this model, richer traveller profile data can be forwarded to airlines, enabling them to respond to each search with a more personalized, dynamic offer rather than a generic fare.”
Not a GDS killer but a different architecture
Jason is clear that the GDN isn’t a GDS replacement. “GDN for Flights is designed to be complementary to, rather than a replacement for, the existing GDS and flight aggregator model. Our vision is to offer airlines and sellers more flexibility and intelligence in distribution.”
The structural difference lies in its network model. “Flight distribution today is still largely built around centralised systems connecting airlines and travel sellers. Looking ahead, we believe a more open and authentic network model will better support the industry where participants, regardless of size or business model, can act as either content suppliers or buyers, and connect directly with one another.”
In practice, that means an API-first platform built around four principles, which are direct (“bring distribution control back to airlines without intermediaries”), open (“we aim to build an open, API-first network where any participant, regardless of size or model, can connect”), intelligent, and shared.
Built for both LCCs and FSCs
A fair question at this stage is whether the GDN is really just a better fit for low-cost carriers because lean, direct-sell-oriented airlines are the ones that have always chafed under GDS economics, compared to traditional full-service carriers (FSCs) with complex fare structures and deep GDS dependencies.
Jason insists the infrastructure serves full-service carriers equally. “GDN for Flights is designed to support both LCCs and FSCs,” he says, with the ability to “normalize content across different supply types, including FSC content via NDC, LCC content, and other sources, into a single integration.”
Early airline partners include AirAsia and Spring Airlines, China’s largest low-cost carrier, which joined in April 2026. For Spring Airlines, the appeal was straightforward. “DerbySoft’s GDN for Flights offers a modern approach to indirect distribution, allowing us to broaden our reach across Asian markets,” said the airline’s spokesperson. FSC discussions, Jason notes, are underway.
What the AI layer actually does
Near-term, DerbySoft is shipping two gateway products. The airline gateway gives carriers “real-time visibility and greater control over how their content is distributed across each seller partner, including branded fares, ancillaries, market rules, and performance analytics.” The seller gateway delivers “consolidated data insights across all connected airlines, with capabilities such as supplier comparison, content filtering, and booking management.”
Further out, two intelligence products are in development. Traveller Qualification “leverages behavioral signals to help airlines better understand buyer intent and deliver more personalised offers.” Flight Offer Optimization “uses network-wide booking data to recommend pricing, ancillary bundling, and distribution strategies, ultimately improving offer relevance and performance for travel sellers.”
The compounding logic is central to Jason’s pitch. “The step-change happens when intelligence and network effects reinforce each other. As more participants join the network, the data becomes richer, the signals become stronger, and the intelligence layer becomes more effective, creating a compounding advantage across the entire ecosystem.”
The seller proposition
For OTAs, TMCs, and consolidators, the risk is obvious, so why isn’t this just another aggregator? Jason points to architecture. “Through GDN for Flights, airlines, OTAs, consolidators, travel agencies, TMCs etc. can connect directly with each other in any combination. This entirely new model transforms how airlines and sellers interact, transact, and optimize their relationships within the flight ecosystem.”
Early seller participants include Wano, Capital A’s B2B distribution platform, and PKFARE, a leading global travel wholesaler.
Jason Sui, Divisional CEO of Flight Services at DerbySoft: “We believe the next evolution of distribution is a new category on top of connectivity, one that incorporates data and an intelligence layer.”
The real risk is adoption, not technology
Not dressing up the challenge, Jason says “The biggest challenge is not the technology itself, but adoption and how quickly the industry is ready to shift toward a more open, intelligence-driven distribution model. Flight distribution today is deeply embedded in existing processes, commercial structures, and ways of working.”
Getting there requires buy-in across the board. “Even with clear benefits, adopting a new model requires alignment across multiple stakeholders, from airlines to different types of sellers, each with their own systems and priorities. This means change tends to happen gradually rather than overnight.”
His approach is to lower the barrier rather than force the shift: “GDN for Flights integrates seamlessly into existing workflows while progressively demonstrating value, so adoption can scale in a practical and sustainable way.”
What success looks like by 2030
Asked for hard metrics, Jason frames success in infrastructure terms rather than market share. “For us, success by 2030 is more about whether we have successfully built an open, scalable network between airlines and travel sellers”, one where “airlines and sellers of different sizes and technical maturity can participate in modern distribution and retailing on equal footing, with intelligence embedded as a core capability.”
The longer-term ambition comes back to compounding intelligence. “The direction is clear – an open, intelligence-driven distribution network where every additional connection makes the system smarter and more valuable. The question is not if this happens, but how quickly the ecosystem can reach that critical mass.”
This is a sponsored post
