Qatar Airways has entered the metaverse with the launch of QVerse, the airline’s new virtual reality (VR) experience. Visitors can tour QVerse on the Qatar Airways website and virtually navigate the premium check-in area at Hamad International Airport (HIA).
Step into the future with #QatarAirways' all-new virtual reality experience and meet the world's first-ever MetaHuman cabin crew, Sama!
Experience the #QVerse at https://t.co/kxGjfBvTgA pic.twitter.com/bK4bBu5gOm
— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) April 22, 2022
Visitors can also take a look inside the cabin of the airline’s aircraft, including the Business Class – Qsuite, and the Economy Class cabin, using their own personal electronic devices (PEDs).
The QVerse has been developed using Epic Games Unreal Engine, an advanced real-time 3D creation tool. Epic Games has also taken its own steps into the metaverse with a partnership with Lego and has raised $2 billion in funding to build a metaverse for children.
At the same time, Qatar’s national carrier has also unveiled the world’s first MetaHuman cabin crew, offering an interactive digital customer experience. The MetaHuman cabin crew was created with MetaHuman Creator, a cloud-based application for creating high-fidelity digital humans.
The virtual flight attendant is named Sama, which means “sky” in Arabic. She will guide users from the check-in area to the aircraft and introduce the features of the Business and Economy class cabins through a narrated script.
“At a time when physical boundaries are beginning to be challenged by the metaverse on an ever-increasing scale, it is exciting to embrace technology that allows all travel enthusiasts to enjoy a uniquely immersive experience of our award-winning products and services,” said Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer His Excellency Akbar Al Baker.
He added: “Our status as the first airline to introduce a MetaHuman cabin crew is a testament to our unwavering desire to innovate and delight our customers. We are always keen to adopt and introduce new technologies that enhance the entire journey for our passengers.”
Qatar is not the only Middle Eastern airline to have recently introduced VR experiences. Rival Dubai-based Emirates announced last week that it will launch NFT and metaverse experiences for its customers and staff in the coming months.
Last year, Emirates launched its own VR app on the Oculus store, offering users interactive, real-life-like cabin interior experiences aboard Emirates’ flagship A380 and Boeing 777-300ER Gamechanger aircraft.