IATA AIR Hackathon
Welcome to the AIR Hackathon, around-the-clock experience to enhance airline retailing. The AIR Hackathon comprises:
- One week ideation phase to prepare your project around leisure and business travel (ideation is available only for registered participants and they will be invited on 14 February 2020)
- A 28 hour coding experience in Seattle, USA to work on your projects and pitch ideas to a team of industry experts and mentors
During the AIR Hackathon you will be asked to build solutions to enhance booking experience for passengers travelling with mobility aids (wheelchairs) and/or tracking or mobility aids (wheelchairs). We will ask you to address at least one of the related themes published for this event. In parallel, you will be able to attend some of the workshops that will take place on-site and gain access to mentors that will support you through the Hackathon experience.
We are thrilled to have the 14th edition of IATA AIR Hackathon in such a vibrant location to take experience of passengers travelling with wheelchairs to the next level!
NB - IATA does NOT retain developers' Intellectual Property (IP) on any of their ideas/prototypes presented at this Hackathon. Detailed information under Terms and Conditions.
NDC Info
The NDC Standard enhances the capability of communications between airlines and travel agents.
The NDC Standard is open to any third party, intermediary, IT provider or non-IATA member, to implement and use.
The NDC Standard enables the travel industry to transform the way air products are retailed to corporations, leisure and business travelers, by addressing the industry’s current distribution limitations:
- Product differentiation and time-to-market
- Access to full and rich air content
- Transparent shopping experience
Reduced Mobility Info
It is also envisaged that the number of aging and disabled persons who want to travel by air will increase significantly in the future.
Some of these individuals travel with their mobility aids which are very diverse in terms of typology, height, width, length and weight.
The air travel experience of passengers with disabilities initiates long before the time of boarding and includes a broad range of stakeholders, third-party ticketing providers, travel agents, airlines, airport operators, ground handling agents, mobility aids manufacturers, and others.
The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) has been the most swiftly ratified international human rights treaty, with 161 signatories and 177 ratifications. This convention considers disability as a social concept whereby it is societal barriers that exclude persons with disabilities.
For their part, airline members articulate their commitment to facilitate seamless and dignified travel for passengers with disabilities through the adoption of the board Resolution at the Annual General Meeting in Seoul.
At the same time, in some cases airlines are notified about the dimensions of the mobility aid too late i.e. when the passenger arrives at the airport. Depending on the routing and the aircraft type, the mobility aid may be too big or too heavy to be loaded in the cargo compartment (e.g. small aircraft with no mechanical loading system and bulk load cannot accommodate large mobility aids in the cargo compartment).
As a result, the customer experience might be very poor as they may:
- Be required to change their routing in order to travel with their aids
- Be required to take more than one flight to reach their destination
- Need to fly from a different, less convenient airport
- Not be able to fly at all and be forced to use another mean of transportation.
PICK ONE TO TAKE OFF
Choose at least one of the challenges below to participate! (click on the icon for details)
Challenge 1 - Booking
BOOKING & UI | Better visibility of the type of the disability aid at the earliest stage, so the aircraft capabilities can be matched as early as possible in the process, consequently provide personalized and relevant booking experience for passengers travelling with wheelchair*
Rule: IATA NDC 19.2 API needs to be used
Note: Personas available here
* For passengers travelling their own mobility aid - depending on the routing and the aircraft type, the mobility aid may be too big or too heavy to be loaded in the cargo compartment (e.g. small aircraft with no mechanical loading system and bulk load cannot accommodate large mobility aids in the cargo compartment). Also passengers need to enter information on their mobility aid every time they travel from scratch due to the lack of customer profile in this area connected to his/her mobility aid.
Challenge 2 - Tracking of Mobility Aid
Note: personas available here
** For passengers travelling with their own mobility aid how to provide real control (i.e real time status of their wheelchair)
ps - think how this tracking information can be sent to Passengers, Airlines and Airports for better passenger experience
Agenda
Friday 21 February 2020
Saturday 22 February 2020
Sunday 23 February 2020
Accessibility Information
This event promotes the development of solutions that meet or exceed accessibility standards and industry best practices. We have commited to bring at our own hackathon website to the next level in terms of accessibility with the support of EqualWeb https://www.equalweb.com/.
To ensure that as many people with diverse abilities can enjoy participating in our hackathon we would like to share as many details about the event to help you prepare to attend. Please give us a heads up about any requirements you have, that are not covered below, by emailing ndchackathon@iata.org.
Quiet Zone:
There will be quiet areas for you to relax on Friday, Saturday & Sunday during the hackathon.
Flash Photography:
There will be some flash photography on Friday evening during the opening session and on Sunday while demos take place.
Noise / Music
Music will be playing at a moderate level during registration at the hackathon opening on Friday and on Sunday before and during demos.
Physical Access:
The hackathon working area is on the second floor with stairs and elevator available.
Bathrooms:
They are accessible.
Catering:
We will make options available as per registration information provided.
Other:
Where possible, closed Captioning (subtitles) will be used on all video presentations used.
Non-Corporate Prizes

Best Booking Experience
5,000 USD + Presentation at IATA event+
Showcase on AIR Tech Zone

Best Wheelchair Tracking Solution
Showcase on AIR Tech Zone
Corporate Prizes

Best Booking Experience
Presentation at IATA event+
Showcase on AIR Tech Zone

Best Wheelchair Tracking Solution
Showcase on AIR Tech Zone
Cloud credits

Location: Redmond, WA
**terms and conditions changed on 20th February 2020 under age participation clause 6**
2020 IATA AIR Hackathon Seattle, USA: Terms and Conditions
VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.
1. GENERAL INFORMATION
Information on how to enter the IATA AIR Hackathon and the prize details form part of these terms and conditions of entry ("Terms and Conditions"). Entry into the Competition is deemed to constitute acceptance of these Terms and Conditions. Entries not in accordance with these Terms and Conditions are deemed ineligible.
The Competition is organized by International Air Transport Association ("IATA" or the "Organizer"), having its Head Office at 800 Place Victoria, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4Z 1M1 and its Executive Offices at 33, route de l´Aeroport, P.O. Box 416 CH-1215 Geneva 15 Airport, Switzerland.
2. DEFINITIONS
The following terms shall have the following meaning in the present Terms and Conditions:
"API" means Application Programming Interface. APIs define a standardized language to access application functionality from external code.
"Competition" means the developer event called "IATA AIR Hackathon" organized by IATA, starting on February 14th ,2020 with participant onboarding/ideation and ending on February 23rd, 2020 in Seattle, USA with the final Hackathon.
"Hackathon" is a combination of the words "hack" and "marathon", where the term "hack" is used in the sense of exploratory programming. "Hackathon" refers to the final phase that will take place during the Competition and during which Participants (as defined below) will have to create innovative solutions related to IATA initiatives (NDC and business intelligence) and/or its Partners' APIs, with the goal of winning cash prizes and exposure via IATA publication and website.
"Ideation Phase" means the phase during which the Participants begin to provide ideas, which need to be reviewed, commented and steered.
"Participant(s)" means any individual(s) or company(ies) that is(are) registered to participate in the Competition.
"Partners" means the companies selected by the Organizer that will contribute to the Competition by providing, for instance, mentoring services, APIs, products, etc. to the Participants.
"Solution(s)" means innovative solution(s) created by a Participant during the Hackathon.
A "Startup" is an entrepreneurial venture which is typically a newly emerged, fast-growing business that aims to meet a marketplace need by developing or offering an innovative product, process or service. A startup is generally defined as a small business.
"Professional Companies” are corporate entities for which statutes make special provision, regulating the use of the corporate form by licensed professionals such as attorneys, architects, engineers, public accountants and physicians. Professional companies often exist as part of a larger, more complicated, legal entity.
3.THE COMPETITION
The registration for the Competition will be rolled out in two different phases:
First phase - Ideation: The first phase, consisting of an online ideation platform ("Ideation Platform"), will permit Participants to submit and discuss ideas via e-mail in relation to the theme of the Hackathon with a panel of experts. The goal is to allow Participants to adjust ideas they want to build in the Hackathon by receiving feedback from other Participants and Mentors (as defined below). This phase of the Competition will end with an in-person ideation session in Seattle,USA where ideas will ultimately be shaped before implementation, and the Partners will inform the Participants about their business models and APIs and/or Datasets.
Second phase - Hackathon: The second phase, consisting of twenty eight (28) hours in Seattle, USA. The Hackathon, to be held from February 22nd to 23rd , 2020 will permit Participants to pitch their ideas and designs, as well as develop products with accessible data and technologies, in order to win a prize as described in Section 12 below.
4.ROLE OF THE ORGANIZER
IATA is the organizer (“Organizer”) of the Competition and is fully responsible for the Competition.
The Organizer will provide the registration website and mentor supporting Participants during the first phase.
The Organizer will be responsible for organizing Hackathon and setting up a jury to decide the winners of the Hackathon ("Jury").
5.START AND END DATES
Prior to the Competition, an event will be held on February 21st, 2020 with the presentation of sponsors and an engagement cocktail reception with developers and API providers. The Competition will take place from February 22nd 2020 to February 23rd 2020.
First phase – Ideation: The Ideation Platform is available at Microsoft Teams platform .The Organizer will invite each Participant who registered for the Hackathon to submit any kind of questions during the Ideation period through a dedicated platform. The phase will conclude with the idea pitch session on February 21st in Seattle, USA. At this session, (a) groups can still be formed; and (b) groups already formed can present their concepts and network with competition partners.
Second phase – Hackathon: a total of 28 hours Hackathon from February 22nd to 23rd , 2020 in Seattle, USA. A detailed schedule will be available on the registration page.
6.PARTICIPATION
A Participant is eligible to enter into the online registration if he/she/it is either a natural person or an institutional body, and meets the following requirements at the time of entry, as applicable:
Natural persons:
- Participant is a natural person of at least seventeen (17) years of age with appropriate parents' writting authorization and supervision.
- Participant is ideally a marketer, developer, idea generator, designer or data analyst.
Institutional body:
- Participant is any company or Startup
- A responsible team leader must be named, stating that he/she has the necessary authority to make decisions on behalf of the company/Startup and to bind it.
BY REGISTERING FOR THE COMPETITION, EACH PARTICIPANT EXPLICITLY AGREES:
- To review and abide by all the rules and requirements stated in these Terms and Conditions;
- To fulfil any visa and/or entry requirements required by the authorities of the United States of America, as applicable. The Participant acknowledges and agrees that it is the sole prerogative of the immigration and government authorities of US to let anyone inside their country and the Organizer assumes no liability or responsibility for any denial of access by said authorities;
- To release and hold harmless the Organizer, its subsidiaries, affiliates, employees, agents and Partners from any and all liability or any injury, loss or damage of any kind, arising from or in connection with the Competition or any prize won therein. The Participant is responsible for payment of any and all taxes and any other liabilities arising from participation in the Competition;
- That all the Organizer's decisions will be final and binding on all matters related to the Competition;
- That all the Jury's decisions will be final and binding on all matters related to the Competition;
- That any photo, video or other material containing his/her likeness or voice, as may be shot, filmed or captured during the Hackathon, may be published by the Organizer, in full or in part, with or without stating the Participant's name, on any media whatsoever, including, but not limited to, the Organizer's website and/or Youtube page, at the Organizer's sole discretion. This authorization shall be valid worldwide for ten (10) years as of the first day of the Competition.
REGISTRATION AND PARTICIPATION IN THE COMPETITION
Participants shall pre-register for the Competition through the official website at https://airtechzone.iata.org/hackathon/sea20. Each Participant who has pre-registered to take part in the Hackathon will receive an e-mail from the Organizer with final confirmation depending on participant profile and the seats availability.
Registration in the Ideation phase will only be possible by invitation via e-mail by the Organizer.
Access to all Hackathon phases is free of charge.
The number of Participants is limited by the capacity of the venue where Hackathon will be held and the Organizer may close registration before the end of the registration period in case the maximum number has been attained.
The Organizer may prolong the registration period in its sole discretion. In such case, the dates of the Hackathon will be postponed accordingly. The Organizer will inform the registered Participants in due course of such prolongation.
8. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRIES AND PARTICIPATION
During the Registration Period, Participants have the following opportunities:
Submit ideas to a panel of experts that have been selected by the Organizer for their business expertise and experience ("Mentors").
Ideate on, develop and enhance the ideas they would like to present and develop during the twenty-eight (28) hour Hackathon.
PARTICIPANTS AGREE THAT THEIR SUBMITTED IDEAS:
- Will not include illegal, vulgar, offensive, racist or otherwise inappropriate or discriminating content;
- Will not encourage the use of controlled substances, including but not limited to alcohol and drugs;
The Organizer reserves the right to disqualify, at its sole discretion, any Participant which doesn't comply with the above-mentioned criteria.
Upon Participants' requests, and at any time of their choosing, Mentors will provide feedback on registered Participants' submissions.
Mentors will be available online during CET (Central European Time zone) business hours to answer questions and to comment on ideas that have been submitted.
Mentors will receive questions from IATA via a dedicated Ideation platform.
9. THE HACKATHON JURY
The Jury for the Hackathon will be comprised of representatives of the Organizer and of the Organizer’s Partners.
The Jury will evaluate the Solutions created by Participants during the Hackathon based on the demonstration made thereof, and according to the judging criteria, that is provided below. In the event of a tie, the Jury will deliberate to determine a winner in its sole discretion.
The Organizer may, in its sole discretion, replace members of the Jury.
In the event of a conflict of interest, a member of the Jury may disqualify him/herself or be disqualified by the Organizer from passing judgment on a particular team or Participant. Such disqualification shall not affect or disqualify the judging or reviewing of that team or Participant's submission by other members of the Jury.
10. PROCESS OF THE HACKATHON
The Organizer will announce the Venue through the Hackathon website
Attending the Hackathon portion of the Competition is free of charge for Participants confirming their attendance at least three (3) days prior to Hackathon. The Platinum sponsor will bear costs for the venue and catering. However, all travel costs to get to and associated with the Hackathon in Seattle, USA (including all accommodation) shall be entirely borne by the Participants themselves.
The Organizer disclaims any responsibility for any sickness, illness or injury caused to participants as a result of food and beverage consumption at the Hackathon. Participants understand, accept, and take full responsibility for the potential risks and hazards of consuming foods and beverages during the Hackathon. In the case of dietary restrictions or allergies, it is imperative that Participants verify the ingredients of the food and beverage offered.
11. SELECTING THE WINNERS
The final Jury will select the winners of the Hackathon according to the following criteria:
i. Use of NDC APIs (if applicable)
ii.Challenge Solved
iii. Originality
iv. Innovation
v. Business Potential
vi. User Experience
During the final demonstration, each participant will have at least three (3) minutes to demonstrate their project and two (2) minutes for questions and answers from the Jury. Final p
A detailed list of parameters will be provided at the beginning of the Hackathon.
PRIZE AWARD
Prizes will be distributed in two separate phases as follows:
(1) HACKATHON PRIZES
End day of Hackathon April 23rd 2020
Prizes for Corporates (i.e. Professional Companies):
Best Booking Experience (limited to one team)
a)Presentation at IATA event (limited to 2 members)
- b) showcase on AIR TECH ZONE
Best Tracking of Mobility Aid (limited to one team)
a)Presentation at IATA event (limited to 2 members)
b) showcase on AIR TECH ZONE
Prizes for Non Corporates (i.e. Start-ups / Students):
Best Booking Experience (limited to one team):
a) 5,000 USD (four thousand US dollars)
b) Presentation at IATA event (limited to 2 members)
c) showcase on AIR TECH ZONE
Best Tracking of Mobility Aid (limited to one team)
a) 5,000 USD (four thousand US dollars)
b) Presentation at IATA event (limited to 2 members)
c) showcase on AIR TECH ZONE
In addition, bonus prizes may be given out at the Hackathon at the sole discretion of the Organizer.
A cash prize will be sent by bank transfer within three (3) months of the end of the Competition. For non corporate winners flight tickets and hotel reservations will be issued by the Organizer in due course.
All immigration/visitation entry requirements are the sole responsibility of the winners and the Organizer shall assume no responsibility as to the entry of such winners into any countries in relation to the prizes.
For non corporate winners flight tickets and hotel reservations would be issued by the Organizer in due course.In case one of the winners is a group, the cash prize will be divided and distributed equally between team members.
For non corporate winners travel would begin and finish in the city and country of residence of winners. Proof of residence would be required to be provided to the Organizer. Travelers would be responsible for issuing and paying for their own visa or other immigration requirements as needed.
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
No assignment of the Participants’ intellectual property rights in their Solution is required as part of the Competition. However, parties may agree to transfer ownership of intellectual property rights in the Solutions, if any such exist, to the Organizer for commercial purposes. Such transfer would need to be formalized in writing by the parties. However, to the extent that a Solution or a portion thereof is composed of content that is not protected intellectual property of a Participant, the Organizer shall be free to use and exploit such Solution or portion thereof in any manner and without any restriction whatsoever.
For the avoidance of doubt, any data and/or materials ("Data") provided by the Organizer during the Competition shall remain the sole and exclusive property of the Organizer and the Participant shall not acquire any rights whatsoever in such Data. The Participant is authorized to use the Data for the sole purpose of the Competition and shall make no use whatsoever of such Data after the Competition, including in cases where a Participant has integrated the Organizer’s Data into their Solution created during the Competition.
Participant expressly authorizes the Organizer, to publish, communicate, expose, disclose, divulge and represent their submitted ideas and Solutions verbally, graphically or in writing, in any medium whatsoever, worldwide, forever, by any means, and free of charge, in relation to the Competition. Participants further authorize the Organizer to use, in any format, their names, pictures, trademarks and logos in any and all documentation relating to the Competition.
The Participant agrees that Solution shall, in no event, infringe in any manner or induce infringement of any third party intellectual property rights. Should any intellectual property rights in a Solution belong to any third party or parties, the Solution may not qualify, in the Organizer’s complete discretion, for any prizes available in the Competition.
THE PARTICIPANT UNDERTAKES TO INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS THE ORGANIZER AGAINST ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, ACTIONS, CAUSES OF ACTION, SUITS, LIABILITIES, DAMAGES, INJURIES OR LOSSES, INCLUDING REASONABLE ATTORNEY FEES, ASSERTED BY A THIRD-PARTY AGAINST THE ORGANIZER DUE TO AN ACTUAL OR ALLEGED INFRINGEMENT OF RIGHTS IN RELATION WITH THE SOLUTION, AS WELL AS AGAINST ALL LITIGATION COSTS (INCLUDING REASONABLE ATTORNEY FEES) REQUIRED TO DEFEND THE ORGANIZER AGAINST SUCH CLAIMS, UNLESS THE ORGANIZER IS ITSELF ENTIRELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INFRINGEMENT OF RIGHTS BY ITS GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT.
12. PERSONAL DATA
BY ENTERING THE COMPETITION, THE PARTICIPANT AGREES FOR THE ORGANIZER TO PROCESS THEIR PERSONAL DATA PROVIDED DURING REGISTRATION OF THE HACKATHON, FOR THE PURPOSES OF RUNNING THE COMPETITION, ADVERTISING/MARKETING AND/OR ADVERTISING/MARKETING FUTURE HACKATHON OPPORTUNITIES TO YOU AND IN THE EVENT THAT THEY ARE MEMBERS OF THE WINNING TEAM, ENTRANTS AGREE FOR THE ORGANIZER TO PROCESS THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF DISTRIBUTING PRIZE(S) AND/OR FACILITATING ATTENDANCE AT THE INCUBATION PHASE.
- LITIGATION AND LIABILITY
The Organizer is fully entitled to shorten, extend, modify or cancel the Competition in any manner it deems fit without incurring any liability to the Participants.
The Organizer is fully entitled to disqualify a Participant or a team which does not abide by these Terms & Conditions or acts in any way deemed inappropriate by the Organizer. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, such inappropriate behavior could occur, for example, if a Participant is caught consuming drugs or other illegal substances during the Competition, if a Participant makes harmful or discriminatory statements or if a Participant engages in hacking or manipulating, or attempting to hack or manipulate the IT system or the Data of the Organizer or any Partners or the data or systems of other teams.
The Organizer and shall not be responsible, and assume no liability, for (i) lost, misdirected or late submissions; (ii) electronic transmission errors; (iii) theft, destruction, change of, or unauthorized, access to submissions; (iv) technical problems, malfunctions or errors in the operation of any hardware or software which is necessary for the transmission of submissions or for the procedure of the Competition, including computer viruses and bugs, or for manipulations, unauthorized access, scams, overload of the Internet or a website or any combinations of these, nor for other causes not subject to the inspection by the Organizer and the respective subsidiaries and branches of the Organizer. In case any of the above should occur, the Organizer retains the right, in its sole discretion, to adjust, change, postpone or cancel the Competition in any manner it deems fit, or to take any other action it deems appropriate, including, without limitation, disqualifying any Participant who wrongfully causes any of the above to occur. The Organizer reserves all rights to recover damages and to take any recourses that may be available to it against such any such Participant.
Participants who are employees of a corporation, government agency or an academic institution are responsible for ensuring that their participation complies with any policies their respective corporation, agency or institution may have regarding participation in events such as the Competition. If the Organizer has reason to believe that a Participant violated any such internal policies, the Organizer reserves the right to prohibit the Participant from participating in the Competition or receiving a prize at any time. The Organizer assumes no liability and is not responsible for any disputes arising between a Participant and his/her employer with respect to participation in the Competition.
- GOVERNING LAWS & JURISDICTION
This Competition will be governed by the laws of the State of New York, United States. Any dispute arising between the Organizer and the Participants as well as any dispute arising from the interpretation or the application of these Terms and Conditions shall be governed by the courts of the State of New York (in New York city), excluding any conflict of law provisions.
GENERAL
The Organizer reserves the right to verify the validity of entries, as well as their compliance with these Terms and Conditions, and to disqualify any Participant who interferes in any way with the entry process or who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. The Organizer will not accept any late or misdirected entries.
The Organizer reserves the right to cancel the Competition and/or cancel or amend the awards if it deems in its sole discretion that there is an insufficient number of Participants.
Disqualification of any Participant who the Organizer has reason to believe has breached any of these Terms and Conditions or has engaged in any unlawful or other improper conduct shall be at the Organizer's sole discretion.
The Organizer's decision in relation to any and all aspects of the Competition is final and binding on every Participant and there shall be no appeal or review process for any such decision.
The Organizer is not responsible for (i) any problems or technical malfunctions of any telephone network or lines, computer or online systems, servers, providers, computer equipment, software or any technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or any web site, delay or error in postal service, or any combination thereof; (ii) any incorrect or inaccurate information caused by any equipment or programming associated with, or used in, this Competition, or any technical error, including any omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, mobile or satellite network failure, theft, destruction, unauthorized access or alteration of entries, or any combination thereof.
The Organizer assumes no liability and is not responsible for any injury or damages to a Participant's or any other person's electronic device resulting from participation in this Competition or downloading any Data as part thereof.
In the event of war, terrorism, economic sanctions, riots, fires natural disaster or any other state of emergency or act of god, the Organizer reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Competition or take any other action it deems fit with respect to the Competition without any liability.
The Organizer reserves the right to change these Terms and Conditions and to add and/or remove any provisions from these Terms and Conditions at any time (including before and during the Competition), for any reason and in any manner it deems fit.