Known for its innovative products and now pushing to advance into the realm of the metaverse, Adel Al Redha, Chief Operating Officer at Emirates, said that the technology would transform entire processes—from operation and training to sales and overall customer experience. As a result, the airline can also eliminate the “middleman,” he said at the Metaverse Assembly in Dubai.

 “If I look at our business today, we’ve seen an increase of close to 50% to our online booking coming from customers directly. We are cutting out the middleman, bringing in efficiencies and more capabilities with this elimination. More importantly, we pass on these costs we’ve saved to the end-users (customers) and give better value for their time. That’s where we’re going with this technology,” Al Redha added.

According to Al Redha, the technology will provide greater value to customers’ time and money, along with the missing human touch.

“We need to maintain that human touch with our customers, but at the same time, you are looking for efficiency,” said Al Redha, adding that the airline wants to do it right.

The metaverse will let travelers pick what they want to consume rather than just being served what is offered. In addition, it will allow them to choose what they want to watch on the flight and when they want to sleep without having to engage with other passengers.

On the second day of the Metaverse Assembly, he emphasized the need for better technology and operational efficiency to train Emirates’ expanding cabin crew.

“It’s a huge scale. Without the technology, you can’t train them efficiently,” he said.

In a previous announcement, Emirates intended to introduce NFTs and thrilling metaverse experiences for its clients and staff. Soon, passengers can use the immersive platform to choose their seats, shop for duty-free goods, or even take tours of the airport and hotels.