Vueling, a Spanish airline partners with Criptan for NFT technology support
Vueling is the latest airline to look in the direction of NFT technology after signing a recent deal with cryptocurrency company Criptan. The Spanish low-cost carrier hopes that the partnership will create a pathway for the adoption of NFT technology and payments in cryptocurrencies.
Criptan to research and make recommendations on adoption strategy
Vueling, a subsidiary of the International Airlines Group (IAG), signed a partnership with Criptan, a platform that facilitates the buying and selling of crypto assets. The deal mandates Criptan to research and recommend to the airline an NFT technical adoption strategy, as well as support for cryptocurrency payments.
The move made by the low-cost carrier (LCC) reflects the increasing interest of airlines in the crypto and NFT space.
A move to the forefront of innovation
The distribution and alliances manager at Vueling, Jesús Monzó, while announcing the partnership said:
“This agreement places us at the forefront of new technologies and innovation, further strengthening our commitment to our customers and offering the best and most advanced tools and solutions on our website”
The airline official stated that the initiative is aimed at making it more convenient for customers to pay for tickets through support for digital currencies. The airline said that it plans to activate NFT payment support by mid-2023. The statement also added that it plans to streamline its use of the Universal Air Travel Plan (UATP) technology, the payment system used in the aviation space.
The collaboration with a blockchain company such as Criptan would enable Vueling to make informed decisions with respect to adoption to give customers the best experience possible, said Monzo.
The first airline to support NFT payment technology
The aviation industry is among the most adaptive in regard to technological innovations. This is mainly due to the fact that it connects people from all cultures and industries. If the deal between the Spanish low-cost airline and Criptan pulls through, the airline will become the first to support the use of NFT technology in Europe.
Speaking on the partnership, Jorge Soriano, CEO of Criptan, said that the cooperation between the two companies would leverage the convenience that the decentralized web offers its users. Soriano said that NFTs and cryptocurrency are clearly a part of the future and that businesses are adopting them to continue to be relevant in their respective industries. He added that the airline industry is not left out of this trend.
The move to integrate the use of NFT in its services shows the commitment of the airline to use technology to advance its services. Several airlines have shown interest in the use of cryptocurrency for payment. AirBaltic, the Latvian carrier, for instance, started accepting bitcoin in the payment of tickets. The airline prides itself as one of the first to do so. Since then, more than 300 airlines began supporting cryptocurrency payments after Bitpay, the crypto payment solution provider, partnered with the Universal Air Travel Plan (UATP).
The potential to innovate through NFTs and other blockchain-based technologies might push rival airlines to follow in Vueling’s footsteps in the near future,
