All Nippon Airways (ANA), the top-performing airline in Japan, unveiled an innovative NFT marketplace, marking a significant step into the burgeoning Web3 sphere. Launched on May 30, the marketplace, coined “ANA GranWhale NFT Marketplace,” is an initiative run by ANA and its offshoot, ANA Neo.
The marketplace, capturing the charm of aeronautics, will debut an exclusive collection by famed aerial photographer Luke Ozawa. His first digital photo, converted into an NFT, will be auctioned alongside its original positive film. This combined artwork carries a price tag of 100,000 yen or $716 USD.
Not stopping at the inaugural collection, the platform plans to introduce a second set of NFTs on June 7. This series will feature a 3D model of the first Boeing 787 managed by ANA. Comprising two types of 787 items, the collection will total 1,574 pieces, each priced at 7,870 yen.
ANA, a giant in the Japanese aviation industry, reported a hefty revenue of $12.2 billion in its most recent fiscal year. It disclosed ambitious plans to expand its NFT offerings, aiming to enhance customer experience through NFT commercialization.
The inception of GranWhale, ANA Neo’s initiative, traces back to August of last year. The virtual travel platform was conceived with a vision to recreate worldwide destinations and cultures via a blend of immersive technologies such as Virtual Reality, forming metaverse parks.
Expressing his optimism for the future, ANA Neo president Mitsuo Tomita declared that the fusion of virtual and real, symbolized in the logo, depicts ANA GranWhale’s firm trajectory into a future where Web 3.0 and metaverse travel become more mainstream.