Emirates has begun accepting cryptocurrency payments for flight bookings through Crypto.com Pay, allowing eligible UAE residents to pay for tickets using their digital assets on the airline's website and mobile app.

The service is available for bookings priced and settled in Emirati Dirham (AED) and marks the rollout of a partnership announced in July 2025, when Emirates and Crypto.com signed a memorandum of understanding to integrate the payment platform into the airline's digital payment systems.

Who can use it?

The payment option is currently available to eligible UAE residents with a Crypto.com account. Customers can use Crypto.com Pay when booking flights through emirates.com or the Emirates App, provided their booking is settled in AED.

Why Emirates is introducing crypto payments

Adnan Kazim, Emirates' Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, said the move is aimed at giving customers more payment choices while catering to digitally savvy travellers.

"Bringing this initiative to life delivers on our commitment to expanding customer choice in how they pay for travel. It also reflects the rapidly evolving preferences of a younger, digitally fluent generation who manage their money and plan their journeys primarily from their phones and they expect the airlines they fly with to keep pace," Kazim said.

"Moving from signature to launch with Crypto.com in under a year is a credit to both teams, and to a regulatory environment that makes this kind of innovation possible, reflecting the UAE's and Dubai's ambition to lead in fintech and the digital economy," he added.

"Partnering with Emirates is a milestone for Crypto.com and our Pay feature, which is renowned for its ease of use and seamless integration. This collaboration is a testament to the UAE's forward thinking approach to innovation and we're proud to support Emirates as it embraces the digital payments space," Crypto.com President and Chief Operating Officer Eric Anziani said.

Part of Dubai's cashless strategy

The payment integration is powered by Crypto.com's Dubai entity, which became the first Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) to receive a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) licence from the Central Bank of the UAE.

According to Emirates, the launch supports the Dubai Cashless Strategy under the D33 Economic Agenda, which aims to make 90% of all financial transactions across government and private sectors digital by the end of 2026. It also builds on the airline's digital payments partnership with Dubai Finance and Crypto.com's collaboration with the government to enable digital payments for public services.

Source: The Economic Times