Hanh Air, a German airline which offers scheduled and charter flights within Europe, has become the first to issue flight tickets on the blockchain. In partnership with Winding Tree, an open-source travel platform, Hahn Air flew executives from the two companies from Dusseldorf to Luxembourg in a pilot application of the technology that could pave the way for the future of air travel.
Hahn Air issues first airline ticket on the #blockchainhttps://t.co/qKfkmsmwrs #HahnAir #airline #ticket ✈️
— Hahn Air Lines GmbH (@HahnAirLines) November 18, 2019
Blockchain-based Travel Still a “Vision of the Future”
Hahn Air issued a press release to announce the development in which they lauded their “technical ability” to produce blockchain-powered air tickets, although they didn’t go on to explain how air tickets on the blockchain is preferential to existing methods. Given that ticket purchasing and issuing is one of the few hassle-free aspects of air travel, the savings, potentially in both time and cost, are likely made behind the scene, meaning that passengers should notice very little difference to their experience when the systems are rolled out. In a note outlining just how far away such technology is from being widely used, Frederick Nowotny, Head of Sales Engineering at Hahn Air who was one of the blockchain travelers, said that the use of blockchain was part of the airline’s goal to “investigate and monitor the opportunities this technology holds for travel distribution, even if widespread acceptance is still a vision of the future.”
Winding Tree Flying High
Winding Tree founder Maksim Izmaylov, who was another of the lucky three, proclaimed blockchain’s “great potential for all industries and endless applications”, adding that “blockchain will have the power…to fundamentally change the face of travel distribution.” Winding Tree has already made inroads into the travel sector, having announced deals with Air France-KLM and Air Canada last October to trial blockchain technology within their systems and processes in order to reduce costs. The successful testing of a practical implementation of blockchain-based air travel is a huge step, and one that could see Winding Tree embed itself as an early leader in the flourishing space.
