Emirates now accepts crypto through Crypto.com's UAE-licensed payment rail, converting to AED. The airline is among four globally to take digital currencies for bookings.
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Emirates Airlines now accepts crypto payments through Crypto.com's Pay solution, processing bookings in AED for UAE residents. The service uses a stored value facility license that Crypto.com's local entity obtained from the Central Bank of the UAE earlier this year.
Customers on emirates.com or the Emirates app can select Crypto.com Pay at checkout, complete the payment from a mobile wallet or by scanning a QR code, and receive a confirmed e-ticket. Crypto.com's UAE arm handles the receipt and converts the crypto into an AED stablecoin or fiat before settling with the airline. The UAE central bank only permits regulated AED stablecoins or AED fiat for domestic goods payments.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, said the move expands payment choice for a younger, mobile-first generation.
"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 COO of Crypto.com, called the partnership a milestone and a testament to the UAE's approach to innovation.
The integration is part of Dubai's 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.
Emirates joins only three other airlines globally that accept crypto directly: airBaltic in Latvia, Vueling in Spain, and Peach Aviation in Japan. The limited uptake reflects the regulatory complexity of settling payments in stablecoins or fiat after conversion, a step that the UAE's SVF license simplifies.
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