BLR Metaport: Bengaluru Airport T2 to be one of the first on metaverse

Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport’s Terminal 2 will soon be one of the first in the world that can be experienced on the metaverse, through ‘BLR Metaport’.

The metaverse is a cyberspace experience combining virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to create a hyper-realistic, immersive, and interactive experience.

BLR Metaport

The BLR Metaport has been built in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Polygon and offers an immersive, three-dimensional (3D) virtual experience of the newly-launched terminal.

It is the result of the Joint Innovation Centre (JIC) announced in April 2022 by Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), AWS, and Intel. One of the main objectives of the JIC is to increase the development and adoption of digital solutions in aviation.

“For BIAL, the mission of the JIC is to leverage emerging technologies to build new business models and passenger experiences and be at the forefront of technology innovation in India’s commercial aviation,” BIAL announced.

Travellers can log on to www.blrmetaport.com and virtually tour and navigate the new terminal with their smart devices and enjoy services like checking into flights, navigating terminals, shopping, and connecting with other travellers.

Several initiatives planned

BIAL’s Chief Strategy and Development Officer Satyaki Raghunath said, “We are very excited that BIAL is entering into the new world of metaverse through the BLR Metaport. This is our first foray into the world of Web3 and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and we aim to delight travellers with a unique, immersive, and virtual experience.”

“We believe that it is important to connect with a new generation of our global audience through the metaverse. We also have several initiatives planned around the BLR Metaport, which promise to increase ways in which we can engage with our global audience and enhance business impact over the next few years,” Raghunath added.

Polygon Blockchain

According to Polygon’s APAC head Arpit Sharma, the Metaport is expected to “drive a digital economy that can be accessed by every individual in the world.”

With the Polygon Blockchain, people will be able to trade digital assets seamlessly and securely in the future. There can be collectibles, digital artwork, certificates for completing training courses related to the industry, utility, and commemorative NFTs at the BLR Metaport. Users will be able to access their favourite brands from anywhere in the world.

Terminal 2, called the “garden terminal,” was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November. It has a huge indoor garden with indigenous and endangered plants. The first phase will have 60 immigration counters, 36 emigration counters, 90 check-in counters, 22 security check lanes, and nine baggage claim counters.

(With agency inputs)