All Nippon Airways (ANA) has recently unveiled the ANA GranWhale NFT Marketplace, which offers a wide range of aviation photography, digital collectibles, etc. The marketplace was developed by ANA NEO, a subsidiary focused on immersive digital experiences within the ANA ecosystem. It supports MetaMask wallet integration and enables fiat currency payments through credit cards.
The NFT marketplace’s collection showcases the remarkable work of Luke Ozawa, an aviation photographer with an impressive half-century career capturing stunning plane images. It also features two digital 3D aeroplanes as NFTs, including a custom Boeing 787 introduced by the airline in 2011. Another collection named Airbits presents generative art pieces portraying pixelated airline pilots.
ANA has launched an NFT business and the virtual platform ANA NEO will operate the “ANA GranWhale NFT MarketPlace”, making ANA the first airline in the world to sell NFT products!https://t.co/Cf7wdIKj5N
— All Nippon Airways (@FlyANA_official) June 1, 2023
According to a press release, the ANA Group intends to leverage NFT technology in the aviation industry to forge new customer connections. Established in 2013, ANA Holdings is Japan’s largest airline group holding company, with 69 companies, including ANA and Peach Aviation. ANA NEO, the company’s subsidiary, is developing ANA Gran Whale, a metaverse travel experience that seamlessly incorporates passengers’ flight histories into digital avatars.
ANA joins the ranks of other airlines exploring integrating cryptocurrency concepts into their offerings. In March, an Argentinian low-cost airline expanded its collaboration with NFT ticketing company TravelX, enabling the issuance of all e-tickets as NFTs on the Algorand blockchain. TravelX partnered with Spanish airline Air Europa in April 2022 to introduce a series of NFT tickets for exclusive perks and events.
