Japan’s largest airline launches NFT marketplace

On May 30, Air Nippon Airways (ANA), the largest airline in Japan, launched an aeronautical-themed nonfungible tokens (NFTs) marketplace with its subsidiary ANA Neo. 

Dubbed the “ANA GranWhale NFT Marketplace,” the platform will feature an inaugural collection created by aerial photographer Luke Ozawa. As told by developers: 

“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 positive film will be sold at auction.”

Meanwhile, the second collection of NFTs will be released on June 7, representing the NFT image conversion of the first Boeing 787 operated by AMA. “Selling ​​as a 3D model airplane. There are 787 items each of the two types, for a total of 1,574 items, and the price is 7,870 yen,” ANA wrote.

ANA is Japan’s largest airline, with revenues of $12.2 billion in its last fiscal year. The firm said it plans to increase the NFT product line in the future and aims to improve the value of customer experience through NFT commercialization.

The development of ANA Neo’s Gran Whale started last August as a virtual travel platform utilizing “technology, including VR, to recreate the destinations and cultures of the world” in the form of metaverse parks. ANA Neo’s president, Mitsuo Tomita, previously stated: 

“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.”

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