Qatar Airways, the state-owned flag carrier airline of Qatar, is looking to introduce new features to its metaverse platform, the QVerse. The popular Middle Eastern airline plans to integrate NFTs, ticket purchases, and more places to explore in the virtual reality (VR) platform.
This is as revealed recently by a spokesperson for the airline. The company also adds that in the future, QVerse may be accessed from other metaverse platforms such as Decentraland or Sandbox, and can be explored using the Oculus Quest VR platform.
“We are currently focusing on creating our metaverse rather than investing in Decentraland or Sandbox. But we do not rule out this plan. We continue to explore how we can develop this area and strategically incorporate NFTs into QVerse,” according to the Qatar Airways executive.
The plan is based on the company’s belief that the metaverse is the future of human relations. Qatar Airways believes the metaverse “will empower human beings, expand their horizons and break their limits by challenging the most basic methods that were once limitations.”
The QVerse platform was first launched back in April. The platform was created using Epic Game’s Unreal Engine, one of the most advanced 3D creation tools. At present, customers can take a virtual tour of the airline’s premium check-in area at the Hamad International Airport (HIA), as well as the cabin interior of the airline’s aircraft.
The platform also features a MetaHuman guide. At the time of its launch, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, stated that the airline was excited to embrace a technology that gives customers a uniquely immersive experience of its products and services.
“With physical boundaries beginning to be challenged by the metaverse on an increasingly larger scale, it is exciting to embrace a technology that enables all travel enthusiasts to enjoy a unique immersive experience of our award-winning products and services,” he remarked.
The metaverse market is expanding rapidly
Qatar Airways is the first airline to jump on the metaverse trend. However, it may not be the only aviation industry player in the metaverse space for long. The U.S. Air Force recently filed to trademark the word SpaceVerse for use in metaverse-related goods and services.
Meanwhile, the metaverse industry has been growing rapidly. According to an analysis by P&S Intelligence, a market research and consulting services company, the metaverse market is expected to surpass $1.5 trillion by 2030.
Many companies are joining the market. Some players like Facebook have even made it the core of their business. Facebook recently completed its rebrand to Meta (NASDAQ: META), to become a full metaverse company.
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