Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is releasing a new non-fungible token collection today that expands upon its existing ‘EY-ZERO1‘ NFT collection.
The new exclusive collection consists of 300 NFTs modeled after the Boeing 787 featured in the movie “Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One.” The NFTs were created in partnership with Arcube, a real-world asset tokenization firm and Etihad’s official Web3 partner. They can be purchased via credit card or crypto on the Crossmint platform.
Holders of the new NFTs will receive the following perks:
- Etihad Guest Silver Tier Status
- A 25% boost in earning Etihad Guest Miles
- Lounge access at the Abu Dhabi International Airport
- Access to the Etihad Virtual Club
- A customized Etihad membership card
- Priority check-in
- The chance to stake their digital assets to earn miles
This is the eleventh 3D aircraft model added to the airline’s existing EY-ZERO1 NFT collection, which first launched in July 2022 on the Polygon blockchain. The NFTs all feature 3D aircraft designs that offer holders exclusive perks, such as Etihad Silver Tier status for a year.
In September, Etihad is planning to open its Web3 loyalty program called the “Horizon Club.” The program will offer NFT staking in exchange for frequent flier miles. Holders will be able to lock up their NFTs and earn Etihad Guest Miles that can be redeemed for upgrades, flights, and other rewards.
Airlines Around the World Embrace NFTs
The latest move from Etihad airline to offer NFT staking in exchange for miles is a first for the industry. However, Etihad isn’t the only airline that’s been bullish on Web3. At Rarity Sniper, we’ve covered several stories about airlines investing in NFTs and Web3 technology. Here are some of the top stories.
First, on May 30th, the largest airline in Japan, All Nippon Airways (ANA), launched the first NFT marketplace in the airline industry. The ANA GranWhale NFT marketplace focuses on selling aviation-themed NFTs and digital assets.
Next, about four months ago, Argentinian airline Flybondi partnered with TravelX to issue plane tickets as NFTs. The digital assets will let passengers change names and transfer or sell their NFT tickets on secondary markets, enabling more flexibility for travelers.
Lastly, ten months ago, Latvia’s top airline, airBaltic, launched an NFT collection tied to its loyalty program. Holders of ‘Planies’ NFTs can accumulate points even when they aren’t flying with the airline and redeem those points for free flights.
As airlines around the world look for new innovative ways to bring value to their customers, NFTs and Web3 technology are proving useful. We’ll have to wait to see if the new NFT staking program from Etihad Airways is popular with holders. If it is, we expect other airlines will follow suit.