Qatar Airways reveals second-generation virtual cabin crew

Qatar Airways is the world’s first airline to develop the Artificial Intelligence powered digital human cabin crew to assist its passengers in designing curated travel experiences.

Sama, meaning ‘sky’ in Arabic, has taken centre stage at the new Qatar Airways stand during ITB Berlin. The biggest travel and tourism trade event saw the revolutionary showcase of Sama, who continues to interact with both visitors and media alike. Enabled by industry-leading conversational AI, she will continue to learn and develop over time to improve responses through passenger interactions. 

Sama 2.0 is ready to answer questions in real time such as Qatar Airways FAQs, destinations, support tips and more, and will be accessible through QVerse, Qatar Airways’ immersive digital platform, as well as through the Qatar Airways app.

Sama is developed by Qatar Airways in partnership with UneeQ, a leader in AI digital human technology. This collaboration between Qatar Airways and UneeQ harnesses UneeQ’s innovative platform to enhance the digital travel experience and sets new standards in the aviation industry. The one-of-a-kind cabin crew is also poised to create benchmarks for personalised and functional service interactions in air travel.

Qatar Airways vice president marketing, Babar Rahman, said: “Sama 2.0 represents our relentless pursuit of innovation, and embodies Qatar Airways’ values of exceptional service and hospitality. This is a monumental point in spearheading the successful synergy between technology and human connection – not only for Qatar Airways, but also for the industry at large. Qatar Airways affirms its commitment to leading and collaborating with innovation experts to create pioneering products and services for its customers.”

UneeQ chief executive officer, Danny Tomsett, said: “Sama embodies UneeQ's commitment to blending technology with empathy and personalisation, providing an innovative solution that aligns with Qatar Airways’ reputation for world-class service. She's a testament to the endless possibilities of AI, capable of delivering personalised and engaging interactions that mirror human conversation.”