Argentinian Airline Issues Every Ticket as an NFT

Argentinian low-cost airline Flybondi is integrating Web3 into its ticketing process by issuing e-tickets as non-fungible tokens (NFT).

The new integration announced Thursday is called Ticket 3.0 and is an expansion of its existing relationship with NFT ticketing company TravelX, which launched in September 2022. The NFT ticketing technology, built on the Algorand blockchain, allows passengers to change their name, transfer or sell their “NFTickets” independently.

Flybondi says the NFT ticket “offers a more flexible travel experience that allows passengers to even buy in advance without having to define their travel plans or who the travelers will be.” In return, the airline is able to reduce customer service costs and increase its revenue from trading fees.

TravelX chief blockchain officer Facundo Martin Diaz told CoinDesk in September that the company does not charge a fee when users initially purchase a ticket but it does receive a 2% transaction fee when trades are made on the secondary market. Airlines also get a 2% cut, he said.

Passengers can purchase travel tickets through the Flybondi website using fiat currency, and TravelX issues a synchronized NFT ticket on top of the regular e-ticket. Travelers can then create a Ticket 3.0 account to manage and store their NFTs through Flybondi. Ticket-related rules and conditions are integrated into the NFT’s smart contract by the airline.

“With this launch, we seek to generate a positive impact in the aviation industry through innovation and an application of blockchain technology,” said Flybondi CEO Mauricio Sana in a press release. “Changing the rules of the game is never easy, but we know that it is our objective to evolve and offer our passengers a new stage of the freedom to fly.”

TravelX partnered with Spanish airline Air Europa in April 2022 to launch a series of NFT tickets linked to special perks and events. Latin American crypto exchange Lemon integrated TravelX onto its platform in October 2022, allowing users to buy and sell airline tickets.

TravelX has also made its infrastructure open so that other exchanges or marketplaces can use the TravelX API. According to the company, over 60 airlines worldwide are also exploring the use cases of its NFT tickets.

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