Emirates, the Dubai-based airline, now allows customers to pay for flights with Bitcoin and other digital assets through Crypto.com Pay.

The airline said Tuesday that, working with Crypto.com, passengers can use the crypto exchange’s payment feature to book flights. Crypto.com and Emirates announced plans to collaborate last year.

Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim said the move “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.”

Emirates first teased plans in 2022 to implement Bitcoin payments. The latest integration allows Crypto.com customers to use digital assets to pay for bookings, adding another option in a market where major consumer brands and service providers are increasingly testing crypto-linked payments.

Under the new setup, travelers with a Crypto.com account can select Crypto.com Pay at checkout when booking on emirates.com or through the Emirates App.

For now, the option is limited to eligible UAE residents making bookings priced and settled in Emirati Dirham, which means the rollout is constrained at launch even as Emirates expands its payment mix.

The integration runs through Crypto.com’s Dubai-licensed entity, which the company says was the first virtual asset service provider to receive a Stored Value Facilities license from the Central Bank of the UAE.

The launch also aligns with broader government targets. It supports Dubai’s Cashless Strategy, part of the D33 Economic Agenda, which aims to make 90% of transactions across the emirate’s government and private sectors digital by the end of 2026.

It follows an earlier Emirates partnership with Dubai Finance to advance digital payments, and comes after Crypto.com signed its own deal with Dubai Finance to accept digital payments for government services.