Emirates Airlines to Accept Crypto Payments Through Crypto.com
Key Takeaways
- •Crypto.com Pay is now available on emirates.com and the Emirates mobile app for eligible UAE residents.
- •Bookings using the service must be priced and settled in UAE dirhams and follow UAE regulatory standards.
- •Crypto.com’s UAE entity previously received a Stored Value Facilities license from the Central Bank of the UAE.
- •Emirates said the partnership expands payment choice and appeals to younger, mobile-first customers.
- •The service supports Dubai’s Cashless Strategy, which targets 90% digital financial transactions by the end of 2026.
Emirates Airlines has adopted Crypto.com’s Pay solution, allowing customers to use it on the airline’s website and mobile application, with transactions processed in line with UAE regulatory standards.
Crypto.com Pay is available to eligible UAE residents for bookings priced and settled in UAE fiat currency, the dirham (AED). Earlier this year, Crypto.com, through its UAE entity, Foris DAX Middle East FZE, received a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) license from the Central Bank of the UAE, enabling it to offer crypto payments in the country.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates Airlines’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, said the initiative broadens the airline’s commitment to giving customers more choice in how they pay for travel and reflects the preferences of a younger generation that relies on mobile devices.
He 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.”
Eric Anziani, President and Chief Operating Officer of Crypto.com, said the partnership is a milestone for the company and a testament to the UAE’s forward-looking approach to innovation.
How the payment option works
When customers use emirates.com or the Emirates app, they can select Crypto.com Pay at checkout. Payments can be completed through a wallet on a phone or, on desktop, by scanning a QR code and then approving the payment in the app.
After the payment is approved, the booking is confirmed and an e-ticket appears on the customer’s screen.
The service is part of Dubai’s Cashless Strategy under the D33 Economic Agenda. The plan aims to make 90% of all financial transactions across the government and private sectors digital by the end of 2026.
Emirates is one of only four airlines globally offering crypto payments, alongside airBaltic in Latvia, Vueling in Spain, and Peach Aviation in Japan.
Under the arrangement, Crypto.com’s entity will receive the payments and convert them into either an AED stablecoin or AED fiat currency before transferring them to Emirates. The UAE Central Bank only accepts regulated AED stablecoins or AED fiat currency for the payment of goods and products in the country.
Official announcement from Emirates