In a bold move that marks the intersection of aviation and blockchain technology, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s largest airline, launched an aeronautical-themed non-fungible tokens (NFTs) marketplace on May 30. The marketplace is a joint effort with its subsidiary, ANA Neo.
ANA NFTs takeoff
Christened the “ANA GranWhale NFT Marketplace”, the platform begins its journey with an inaugural collection of NFTs created by aerial photographer Luke Ozawa. The collection embraces the digitization of Ozawa’s breathtaking aerial images into NFT format. Developers stated:
“From May 30, aerial photographer Luke Ozawa’s first digital photo will be converted to NFT. One of them will be sold with a positive film, which is the source of photo development. The price is 100,000 yen, and the NFT with the positive film will be sold at auction
The asking price for the NFT, complete with the original positive film, stands at 100,000 yen.
The second NFT collection is incoming
Next on the horizon for the ANA GranWhale is the launch of a second NFT collection on June 7. This collection will feature a 3D model airplane, symbolizing the first Boeing 787 operated by ANA, transformed into NFTs. ANA announced that there would be 787 items each of two types, totaling 1,574 items. Each item is priced at 7,870 yen.
The significance of ANA’s move is emphasized by the company’s standing as Japan’s largest airline, boasting revenues of $12.2 billion in its last fiscal year. ANA has further stated its intention to expand the NFT product line in the future, aiming to elevate the customer experience by commercializing NFTs.
The groundwork for the development of ANA Neo’s GranWhale was laid last August. It emerged as a virtual travel platform that harnessed technology, including Virtual Reality, to recreate various global destinations and cultures in metaverse parks.
Mitsuo Tomita, ANA Neo president, highlighted the platform’s ambition, stating:
“The arrow in the symbol [logo] represents the virtual and the real, respectively, and the fusion of the two symbolizes the ANA GranWhale flying straight into the future with stability and growth, where Web 3.0 and metaverse travel will become more commonplace.”
Tomita’s words underlined the strategic approach of the ANA GranWhale: flying steadfastly into a future shaped by Web 3.0 and metaverse travel in a world where these technologies will likely be more commonplace.
With this bold venture, All Nippon Airways is not just embracing the future of digital technology but also setting a precedent for other corporations to follow in the rapidly evolving world of Web3. Other airlines, like Vueling and AirBaltic, have adopted NFTs into their business models similarly.
Source: nft.news
This information is published by the NFT News media team.
