Airlines Reporting Corporation

What Airlines Reporting Corporation does

Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) is a privately held, industry-owned settlement corporation founded in 1985 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The company provides financial settlement services between participating airlines and ARC-accredited travel agencies, processing ticket sales, refunds, exchanges, and credit card transactions, with $100.4 billion in U.S. travel agency air ticket sales settled through the platform in 2025. ARC was the first level 1 PCI compliant entity in the travel industry and actively participates in the PCI Security Standards Council, handling credit card data as both merchant and processor on behalf of accredited agencies.

ARC's core products include the ARC Settlement Platform for transaction processing, ARC Direct Connect for NDC-based modern airline distribution (deployed with Ethiopian Airlines in November 2025 as its first Transaction API integration), the My ARC portal for participant reporting and administration, Multiple Forms of Payment (MFOP) for flexible GDS EDIFACT settlement, and PCI compliance services. The company also operates the NDC Advancement Working Group and publishes the NDC Best Practices Guide to coordinate industry adoption of modern distribution standards. ARC Data Products historically included the Travel Intelligence Program, which was discontinued in late 2025 following bipartisan congressional pressure over sales of customer travel records to government agencies.

ARC earns revenue primarily through transaction-based fees on settled ticket sales, with additional revenue from data products, PCI compliance services, and corporate travel solutions extended through the 2020 acquisition of Traverse Technologies. The company operates with 251-500 employees and serves participating airlines and U.S.-based travel agencies as primary customer segments, with secondary service to corporate travel departments. ARC is governed under Virginia law and has signaled international expansion readiness through Global Cross Border Privacy Rules (Global-CBPR) participation.

Name

Airlines Reporting Corporation

Legal name

Airlines Reporting Corporation

Website

https://arccorp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) is a privately held, industry-owned settlement platform that processes financial transactions, refunds, and exchanges between participating airlines and ARC-accredited travel agencies, with $100.4 billion in 2025 U.S. air ticket sales. It also enables NDC distribution via ARC Direct Connect and provides PCI compliance services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Travel Settlement & Distribution Software

akta.pro primary industry

Invoice, eBilling & Settlement (e.g., BSP/ARC) Automation (THAKANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Travel Payments (Virtual Cards, Lodge Cards, Reconciliation) (THALANAE), Payment Reconciliation, ERP/AP Integration & Data Enrichment (Level 2/3, eReceipts) (THACAJAE), Cross-Border FX, Multi-currency Settlement & Dynamic Currency Conversion (THACAJAF)

Keywords

• Airline settlement services
• Travel agency transactions
• NDC distribution platform
• PCI compliance services
• Air travel data products

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Transaction Settlement Services: ARC provides financial settlement of transactions, including refunds and exchanges, between participating airlines and travel agencies. They process credit card transactions and audit and reconcile sales data as part of their core service offering.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ARC provides financial settlement of transactions, including refunds and exchanges, between participating airlines and travel agencies. It also processes credit card transactions, audits and reconciles sales data, and offers data products used to understand travel and demand patterns. The company operates ARC Direct Connect, a platform enabling airlines and travel agencies to implement NDC (New Distribution Capability) distribution strategies.

Product overview

Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) operates a unified settlement and distribution platform for the air travel industry. The core offering consists of the ARC Settlement Platform for financial transaction processing between airlines and travel agencies, complemented by ARC Direct Connect which enables NDC-based distribution strategies. Additional products include the My ARC Portal providing participant access to tools and reporting, Multiple Forms of Payment (MFOP) for flexible transaction settlement, and ARC Data Products for travel analytics. The company also hosts the NDC Advancement Working Group and publishes the NDC Best Practices Guide to advance industry distribution standards. PCI compliance services support secure credit card data handling across the platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ARC Direct Connect: A platform that connects airlines and travel agencies, enabling them to implement distribution strategies using New Distribution Capability (NDC) standards.
• My ARC
• Elevate + TravelConnect
• PCI Data Security Standards Program

Products and services

• ARC Settlement Platform Financial settlement platform that processes transactions including refunds and exchanges between participating airlines and travel agencies. Enables credit card processing and reconciliation of sales data.
• ARC Direct Connect
• PCI Data Security Standards Compliance Program Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard compliance program; ARC was the first level 1 entity in the travel industry to achieve PCI compliance, handling credit card data as a top-level processor.
• My ARC Portal Central access point for ARC participants (airlines and accredited travel agencies) to access ARC Tools and Resources, providing access to transaction data, reporting, and administrative functions.
• ARC Data Products Data products used by ARC customers and third parties to settle and report transactions, audit and reconcile sales data, and understand travel and demand patterns.
• Multiple Forms of Payment (MFOP) Settlement platform feature enabling airlines to accept more than one form of payment (credit/debit cards, cash) within single GDS EDIFACT transactions including sales, exchanges and refunds.
• Traverse Technologies Technical solution enabling airlines, hotels, and other suppliers to cater to corporate customers directly on their platforms, bridging direct bookings with corporate travel requirements including policy adherence and analytics.

Quantifiable outcome

• U.S.-based travel agency air ticket sales totaled $100.4 billion in 2025, surpassing $100 billion for the first time
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)coreTechnology or Integration · 14 May 2026Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) activated Multiple Forms of Payment (MFOP) on ARC's settlement platform, enabling the airline to accept more than one form of payment in single GDS EDIFACT transactions including sales, exchanges and refunds. The feature supports combining credit and debit cards, cash and other payment methods within a single transaction to improve flexibility for travel agencies and customers. MFOP is part of ARC's broader investment to modernize airline retailing settlement and reporting.
• Ethiopian AirlinescoreTechnology or Integration · 17 November 2025Ethiopian Airlines began processing NDC transactions through ARC Direct Connect, marking the airline's first integration with ARC's new Transaction API. This partnership enhances the airline's distribution capabilities by transmitting real-time NDC data, providing travel buyers and agencies with richer content and personalized experiences.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• BCD Travel: Corporate travel management company operating globally with technology-enabled booking and expense solutions. Comparable to ARC's corporate travel customer segment and adjacent to ARC's settlement and reporting services.
• Spotnana: Cloud-native travel management platform competing with traditional GDSs and TMCs in corporate travel distribution and settlement. Emerging competitor to ARC and adjacent players in modern airline retailing technology.
• NDC Exchange: NDC aggregator and distribution platform enabling airlines to connect with travel sellers. Direct overlap with ARC Direct Connect in NDC settlement and distribution enablement.

Broad incumbents

• Sabre Corporation: Global Distribution System (GDS) and travel technology provider offering airline distribution, hotel booking, and corporate travel solutions. Overlaps with ARC in the airline-agency distribution chain and NDC enablement.
• CWT (Carlson Wagonlit Travel): Global corporate travel management company serving enterprise clients with booking, expense, and meeting services. Comparable as a customer-segment peer for ARC's corporate travel offering and as a participant in airline-agency transactions.
• SAP Concur: Leading corporate travel and expense management platform used by enterprises to book, pay for, and reconcile business travel. Comparable to ARC's Traverse Technologies offering and a participant in corporate travel settlement and reporting.
• Travelport: Global distribution system serving airlines, hotels, and travel agencies with booking, settlement, and NDC distribution capabilities. Comparable to ARC's role in airline-agency transaction processing.
• Amadeus IT Group: Major GDS and travel technology provider offering airline distribution, hospitality, and corporate booking tools. Comparable to ARC as a participant in the airline-agency settlement and NDC distribution ecosystem.

Direct peers

• International Air Transport Association (IATA): IATA operates the global Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP), which is the international functional equivalent of ARC's settlement platform for airlines and travel agents outside the U.S. Direct peer in transaction settlement and travel agency accreditation.
• ATPCO: Industry-owned airline pricing data and distribution company that co-hosts ARC's Elevate + TravelConnect conference. Direct collaborator on NDC advancement and a peer in the airline distribution infrastructure space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/arctalk
• Facebookfacebook.com/ARCtalk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Airlines Reporting Corporation