News

WhatsApp Introduces Flows For Improved In-App Shopping

The company plans to build rich experiences for other business types, too.

Published

2 years ago

September 21, 2023

whatsapp introduces flows for improved in-app shopping

WhatsApp is improving shopping experiences for both e-commerce merchants and their customers through a new feature called Flows. The add-on lets WhatsApp users complete tasks such as booking a seat on a flight or making an appointment without leaving the messaging app.

When using Flows, merchants will benefit from tools such as text boxes, calendars and a seat picker. These features will allow e-commerce companies to build rich experiences while improving booking and payment workflows. The Flows support page gives multiple examples of how the new service can be used, including booking appointments, product customization, account logins, form filling, and signing up for events.

WhatsApp said it had been testing Flows with businesses including Brazilian bank Banco Pan, retailer MagaLu, tech giant Lenovo, Indian travel service redBus, and car-reselling platform Spinny.

“Shopping and e-commerce is one of the biggest verticals we want to focus on. The goal is to enable business messaging in a way that businesses and people can do a lot more right in the chat thread. We are trying to build rich experiences within the chat, and that’s where Flows comes in,” said Nikila Srinivasan, Meta’s VP of business messaging.

Flows will become available over the coming months, and Meta will not initially charge merchants separately for the service. Currently, only e-commerce businesses can utilize Flows’ features, though WhatsApp has plans to develop rich experiences for other business verticals as well.

Also Read: A Guide To Digital Payment Methods In The Middle East

Earlier this year, WhatsApp’s business app surpassed the 200 million monthly active users mark. The messaging company said it had also started testing a personalized messages feature for merchants, which was announced this June. The service lets businesses send custom notifications such as discounts or offers to select patrons.

News

AltoVolo Opens Orders For Limited Edition Sigma eVTOLs

Early buyers can now reserve build slots for AltoVolo’s 500-mile hybrid aircraft through a new online configurator.

Published

6 days ago

November 1, 2025

Nour Nasir

AltoVolo

AltoVolo has started taking pre-orders for its first electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the Sigma, moving the startup closer to commercial rollout. Customers can now secure a build slot with a £860 deposit and customize every detail online — from paintwork to seatbelt stitching. It’s the first configurator of its kind for a civilian eVTOL, mirroring how luxury car brands let clients tailor performance models before production.

The Sigma runs on a hybrid-electric tilting jet system built for long range and low noise. It can travel up to 500 miles at a 220-mph cruise, and is over 80% quieter than a helicopter. The three-seater weighs just 980kg and can maintain stable flight even if one jet fails. Safety systems include triple-redundant controls, thrust-vectoring stability and a ballistic parachute.

“We will be delivering an ultra-refined hybrid electric aircraft,” said founder and CEO Will Wood. “We believe there are thousands of customers for this type of cutting-edge technology”.

The first 100 units will come with exclusive materials and finishes. AltoVolo is also setting up a global service and maintenance network, with early planning for overhaul schedules already underway. The company’s focus on ownership experience echoes its ambition to anchor itself alongside established aviation brands rather than pure tech ventures.

To help new owners train, the company has built a full-scale simulator that replicates the Sigma cockpit in carbon fiber and leather. Pilots can log time toward a license using the system, aligned with the new US MOSAIC rules that ease certification for powered-lift aircraft. Certification work in Europe and the UK continues in parallel, signaling growing international alignment around light sport and eVTOL regulation.

Also Read: Snapchat Opens Qatar Office To Deepen Gulf Presence

Noise inside the cabin has become another design focus. Engineers are refining internal vibration levels and developing a responsive soundscape that shifts with each jet’s power load — part feedback, part theatre.

Urban air mobility projects across the Gulf and elsewhere are pushing regulators and manufacturers to meet in the middle. Dubai, Riyadh and Doha have each outlined plans for air taxi corridors this decade. AltoVolo’s hybrid Sigma, sitting between electric promise and aviation realism, looks built for that middle ground.