According to new data from Navan, corporate travel in Sweden is currently outperforming the rest of Europe.
Data shows a 26% year-on-year increase in international business travel bookings to and from Sweden for the 12 months ending on May 1, compared to a 21% average across Europe.
To stay ahead of demand, Navan has announced two major market upgrades.
Firstly, it has secured a direct NDC connection with SAS, bypassing legacy integration surcharges to provide lower fares and improved post-booking support.
By allowing the airline to share its fares, availability and offers directly in real time, the integration provides an expanded portfolio of SAS services to Navan customers.
The SAS NDC direct connection is available for customers in the Nordics, APAC, France, Germany, Ireland and the UK, with a planned rollout to the USA to follow.
It brings Navan’s total NDC and direct connection offerings to 25 global airlines, including British Airways, Air France, KLM, the Lufthansa Group, Iberia, United Airlines and American Airlines.
“We want the experience on Navan to be as smooth as possible for our users. It comes down to choice – our users want every flight option at the best price. Our new direct NDC connection with SAS lets us pull in the full range of fares so users can book flights at competitive prices, with no hidden third-party fees, without ever leaving our app,” said Dane Molter, Senior Vice President – Travel Marketplace at Navan.
The second upgrade sees Navan integrating over 20 Swedish rail carriers, including Sweden’s largest operators SJ and VR, directly into its web and mobile apps for seamless domestic booking.
Powered by SilverRail’s global rail distribution platform, the API integration unlocks access to domestic rail routes in Sweden, as well as many popular cross-border routes in the region, such as between Stockholm and Copenhagen.
The integration also unlocks enhanced self-service capabilities, with travellers able to manage seat preferences directly at the time of booking and action cancellations directly from the platform.
Navan already offers access to rail carriers across 10 countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and now Sweden.
With one of the broadest selections of rail carriers of any TMC, Navan is rapidly expanding its global rail footprint, launching VIA Rail in Canada and OBB in Austria last year.
As an AI-powered business travel platform, Navan cuts through legacy platforms to give enterprises the comprehensive, global coverage they demand.
Michael Riegel, Chief Customer Officer at Navan, commented: “We’re seeing strong momentum in Sweden. It’s a unique economy where you have this intersection of industrial companies, in manufacturing, maritime and automotive, colliding with a world-class tech and AI scene. Our growing number of customers in the market have been clear about what they need: a unified platform that makes travel seamless. By bringing Swedish rail directly into Navan, we’re answering the demand for local, sustainable travel options in one of Europe’s most important markets.”
In addition to the upgrades, David Hsiung Skott, Navan’s Head of Nordic Sales, has been appointed to the SBTA board, a role that will help shape the future of corporate travel in Sweden.
