Southwest Airlines has joined the International Air Transport Association’s Schedule Data Exchange Program (SDEP), increasing the number of participating airlines to 190.
The program, launched in late 2023, maintains an airline-owned database of flight schedules and minimum connecting time exceptions. Airlines operate under a give-to-get principle, contributing their own schedule data to access enriched global datasets that include flight schedules, aircraft types, cabin configurations, and cargo payload details.
The SDEP already covers more than 70% of available seat kilometers in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. IATA anticipates worldwide coverage reaching 90% by the end of 2026.
Based in Geneva, IATA administers the program to support improved data sharing and operational efficiency among carriers.