Qatar Airways has emerged into the metaverse, by launching “QVerse”, a novel virtual reality experience for visitors to the airline’s website.
By using their personal electronic devices, visitors to www.qatarairways.com/QVerse can now virtually tour and navigate the Premium Check-in area at Hamad International Airport, the cabin interior of Qatar’s aircraft, as well as the award-winning Business Class (Qsuite) and Economy Class cabin.
In line with this innovation, Qatar Airways has also developed a digital interactive customer experience, by introducing a MetaHuman cabin crew – the first in the world.
Speaking on this development, the Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said, “With physical boundaries beginning to be challenged by the metaverse on an increasingly larger scale, it is exciting to embrace a technology that enables all travel enthusiasts to enjoy a unique immersive experience of our award-winning products and services.
Our status as the first airline to introduce a MetaHuman cabin crew is testament to our unwavering desire to innovate and delight our customers. We are constantly looking forward to adopting and introducing novel technologies that enhance our passengers’ complete journey”.
The digital experience was developed using the world’s most advanced real-time 3D creation tool, Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, and MetaHuman Creator, a cloud-based app for creating high-fidelity digital humans.
This makes Qatar Airways the first global airline to introduce a MetaHuman cabin crew, featuring a digitally created high-fidelity 3D human model named “Sama” – whose name is of Arabic origin and translates to “sky”. Sama offers an interactive customer experience through engagement with users, taking them on a virtual journey of discovery, while presenting – through a narrated script – the unique features in both the Business and Economy Class cabins.
Qatar Airways, a multiple award-winning airline, was announced the “Airline of the Year” by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. The airline also secured five additional awards, including: World’s Best Business Class, World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge, World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat, World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering and Best Airline in the Middle East.
The airline continues to be at the top of the industry, having won the main prize for an unprecedented sixth time (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021). Qatar’s hub,Hamad International Airport (HIA), was also recently recognised as the “Best Airport in the World 2021”, ranking at number one in the Skytrax World Airport Awards of 2021.
