Last Updated on April 22, 2022
Quick take:
- This is Emirates’ new strategy to extend experiences for customers and employees into the latest digital spaces.
- The Emirates Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will be repurposed into a centre for innovation.
- Emirates continues to engage with industry partners on its Web3 strategy.
Dubai’s carrier Emirates announced today that it will be launching NFTs and metaverse experiences for customers and staff. The airline is planning to build signature brand experiences in the metaverse, and release both collectible and utility-based NFTs for customers and employees.
The first projects are already underway and will be launched in the coming months.
With a committed investment of tens of millions of dollars, Emirates’ dive into the Web3 space is its new strategy to “extend its leading experiences for customers and employees into the latest digital spaces.”
Emirates also announced that the Emirates Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will be repurposed into a centre for innovation where talents from all over the world will be invited to take part in the airline’s metaverse, NFT and Web3 projects.
For now, Emirates continues to engage with industry partners on its Web3 strategy and recruit talents for projects in the pipeline.
“Dubai and the UAE are blazing the way in the digital economy, having a clear vision supported by practical policies and regulatory frameworks in areas such as virtual assets, artificial intelligence, and data protection,” said HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates airline and Group. “We are excited about the opportunities in the digital space of the future and are committing a significant investment in financial and resourcing terms, to develop products and services using advanced technologies that will deliver on revenue, brand experience, and business efficiencies.”
Last year, Emirates became the first airline to launch its own VR app on the Oculus store, offering users life-like and interactive cabin interior experiences onboard Emirates’ flagship A380 aircraft and Boeing 777-300ER Gamechanger aircraft.
Customers could check-in online with the 3D seat map and book their preferred seats in the VR environment.
The airline now joins Qantas, airBaltic and Air Europa in launching NFTs. On Tuesday, Air Europa announced its partnership with blockchain-based distribution protocol TravelX to release the world’s first NFT flight ticket series that will give holders access to a flight to Miami Beach on Nov 22.
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