Changi Airport enters the metaverse
Changi Airport Group (CAG) has announced its metaverse “debut” with an immersive experience called ChangiVerse. Transporting the physical airport into a digital space, people are encouraged to “experience the magic of Changi Airport like never before” with a whole host of benefits to the group.
CAG is consistently at the forefront of innovation in airports, providing passengers with a seamless, digitised experience at Singapore Changi Airport. As the aviation industry explores the metaverse, the group is positioning itself at the fore of experimentation, associating itself once again with innovation, and preparing for travel’s continued evolution into the digital realm.
ChangiVerse has been developed in collaboration with Accenture and the immersive virtual reality airport is built on a global shared experience platform called Roblox which has millions of daily users.
ChangiVerse is a digital representation of the physical airport across three key areas: the Jewel, Terminal 3, and Airport Boulevard. The virtual world features many of the world famous airport’s best known features including the Changi control tower and the iconic indoor waterfall at the Jewel. Across these spaces, visitors can access a range of activities and social experiences.
Image source: CAG
Hung Jean, group senior vice president of CAG’s Enterprise Digital Ecosystem & Business Division, said:
“With ChangiVerse, we want to strengthen Changi Airport’s position as more than just a transport node, but a fun and magical destination where memories are created. With our customers becoming more digitally savvy and interacting in the digital space, ChangiVerse is also about engaging our customers and serving them better through innovation and experimentation, in line with our belief of customers being at the heart of everything we do.”
Changi’s engagement with the metaverse helps “to reach a growing group of digital users and fans who want to explore travel destinations differently,” enabling people who have never visited the physical space to experience the airport in a digital capacity. This immersive experience may draw new travellers in, growing the airport’s international audience. It has been suggested the games could inspire young children’s engagement with the airport and even spark a degree of interest in career opportunities available at the airport.
Image source: CAG
Players are encouraged to take part in a wide range of games available in ChangiVerse, accumulating prizes across the virtual and physical space. Changi Kart is the “core game,” with contestants competing against one another, racing through Airport Boulevard. The top three competitors on the leader board each week will have their avatars appear at T3’s winners’ podium and there will be a monthly prize of Singapore Airlines tickets, with overseas winners eligible with a trip to Singapore and chance to see Changi Airport in person.
By encouraging people globally to interact with the airport in a new capacity, CAG unlocks a range of benefits. From engaging a new audience to positioning themselves for the future of travel, it will be exciting to see how Changi’s metaverse debut unfolds.
For more content on the metaverse see:
- How Is The Metaverse Being Used In Aviation?
- What will air travel look like in the metaverse?
- Agility culture, digital strategy, and consumer insights. An interview with Dr Andy Luk, Head of Digital Transformation and Insights, HK Express
- “Terminal in a Garden,” the airport terminal built on the key pillars of Technology and Sustainability. An interview with Hari Marar, MD & CEO, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL)
Article by Jess Brownlow
