Etihad Airways are Scheduled for NFT Take Off with New Collection
The United Arab Emirates’ national airline Etihad Airways has announced that it will launch its first NFT collection, ‘EY-ZERO1'.The premier airline company plans to leverage the current blockchain and web3 infrastructure to offer more value to its loyal customers. Etihad Airways is one of the first three airline companies already embracing NFTs in their customer loyalty program to reward frequent flyers.
#2 - What to know about the ‘EY-ZERO1’ NFT Collection
#3 - Etihad Airways Stays true to its Sustainability Commitments
#4 - EY- ZERO1 Launch Date and Availability
#5- NFT Travel Becoming Widespread
WTF are NFTs?
NFTs are digital collectibles that can be used for a variety of purposes. The main difference between NFTs and other digital assets is that they cannot be duplicated. This means that only one copy exists at any given time. NFTs can be used for many applications in different industries, including games, entertainment, art, real estate, and even finance.
In the case of EY-ZERO1, the airline plans to use NFTs to provide value-added services to existing and future customers of Etihad's core offering; air travel.
What to know about the ‘EY-ZERO1’ NFT Collection
The NFT series is Etihad Airway’s first collection and will feature highly detailed 3D models of 10 unique Etihad Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner liveries. Unique designs in the collection will include The Greenliner and Manchester City FC-themed aircraft, among others.
The collection will have a total of 2003 separate limited-edition collectibles symbolizing the year of the airline’s establishment. It also comes with different benefits for holders. For starters, holders of the collection will enjoy Etihad Guest Silver tier membership benefits for one year. Furthermore, ten lucky holders will receive complimentary flight tickets from the company. Other benefits will include exclusive pre-access to future collections and future products the airline plans to launch, as part of its web3 strategy.
Etihad Aviation Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Tony Douglas, expressed his excitement about the upcoming launch, mentioning that the EY-ZERO1 collection will help the company provide real-world travel and lifestyle benefits to travelers, collectors, and aviation enthusiasts.
“NFTs and other metaverse technologies are revolutionizing the digital economy, and we are proud to be one of the first airlines in the world to explore their potential to provide additional utility for our customers.”
Etihad Airways Stays true to its Sustainability Commitments
Etihad Airways was also one of the first airliners to commit to sustainability by adopting several green initiatives. These included reducing carbon emissions through fuel efficiency improvements and using eco-friendly materials in production processes.
It has also taken measures to ensure its NFT collection is as energy efficient as possible. Etihad Airways plans to mint the EY-ZERO1 collection on the Polygon Blockchain, an energy-efficient layer-2 platform built on top of the Ethereum Blockchain. It has partnered with Aerial.is to help track the CO2 emissions of each NFT in the collection. Furthermore, it plans to offset the project's remaining carbon footprint by allocating the entire proceeds to purchasing sustainable aviation fuel in 2022.
Speaking on the efficiency of the NFT collection, Mr. Douglas said, "As well as recognizing the artistic significance of our aircraft liveries, our NFT collection has been developed to be as efficient as possible and help Etihad Airways' broader sustainability and decarbonization goals."
EY-ZERO1 Launch Date and Availability
The tokens will be available from July 21 to August 18 on etihad.arcube.io, with a fixed price of $349 (tax inclusive). Etihad's Guest Rewards Shop also allows members of its reward program to exchange their Etihad Guest Miles for an NFT.
NFT Travel Becoming Widespread
Etihad isn't the only airline embracing blockchain. airBaltic was the first airline to adopt Bitcoin internationally in 2014, and it was the first to launch NFTs last year. The digital art collection featured Latvia's cultural and heritage monuments as part of a tourist effort. Each collectible sold for 1 ETH.
Since then, several other airlines have joined the trend, including Qantas, Air Europa, and Emirates. Qantas launched a set of aviation heritage-themed tokens that will be available "mid-year."
Engage with the NotAnotherNFT Community
Questions, comments or feedback on the above guide?! head over to our community page and get into contact!