The metaverse has swept across the digital space since Zuckerberg rebranded Facebook into Meta last year, prompting many other major brands to switch into the augmented and virtual reality spaces. Among the latest to join the metaverse is Qatar Airways.
On Tuesday, the airline announced the launch of its virtual reality platform, the Qverse. The platform allows enthusiasts to dive into the virtual world and navigate the Premium Check-in area at the International Airport of Hamad.
According to Qatar Airways, the Qverse is its first endeavor into the metaverse as it plans to expand its virtual initiatives. The company believes the metaverse is an essential asset of the future of human relations.
The airline shared that the dive into the metaverse reflects passengers’ desire for immersive content that empowers their decision-making before making a ticket purchase.
“We believe that the future is virtual,” said Qatar in a statement. “The metaverse will empower human beings, expand their horizons, and break their limits by challenging the most basic methods that were once limitations.”
“That’s why we believe Qverse will change the way passengers make their shopping choices,” revealed company representatives.
Qatar Airways highlights plans of adding more functionalities, places, and interactions to the metaverse platform to make a sociable and accessible experience via the Oculus Quest VR platform.
The company plans to integrate ticket purchase and seat choice for physical flights on real aircraft through the metaverse, noting that actions in metaverse gateways may occur in the future. Qatar cited Decentraland and The Sandbox as examples.
“We are currently focusing on creating our metaverse rather than investing in Decentraland or Sandbox. But we do not rule out this plan,” Qatar Airways shared. “We continue to explore how we can develop this area and strategically incorporate NFTs into Qverse.”
In 2021, Qatar Airways became the pioneering airline in the Middle East to incorporate the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Blockchain Digital Passport in partnership with the IATA.
The United States Air Force recently followed suit, filing a trademark application for an entry into the metaverse called SpaceVerse. Although details are still kept in the dark, the order highlights that SpaceVerse is set to be the U.S. defense agency’s virtual reality training, testing, and operations environment.