Emirates adds Crypto.com Pay for UAE flight bookings, turning a 2024 MoU into a live checkout option. The airline confirmed the rollout via its media centre.
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Emirates has launched Crypto.com Pay as a payment option for flight bookings in the United Arab Emirates, giving UAE-based customers a new way to settle airline ticket purchases through a branded crypto payments rail.
The airline confirmed the rollout through its media centre, describing it as a new way for customers to pay for flights, according to Emirates. The move follows a memorandum of understanding the two companies signed to bring Crypto.com Pay into the booking process.
Emirates had earlier signalled the integration when it entered into a memorandum of understanding with Crypto.com for the future addition of Crypto.com Pay as a payment option for customers, Emirates said at the time. The current launch turns that agreement into a live checkout option.
The announcement centres on payment acceptance for airline purchases, meaning the change affects how customers pay rather than ticket inventory or airline operations. Crypto.com Pay is added alongside Emirates' existing methods listed on its payment options page.
Local reporting framed the update as Emirates now accepting cryptocurrency for flight bookings in the UAE, Gulf News reported. The initial availability is anchored to UAE customers.
Specific supported tokens, fees, and settlement mechanics were not detailed in the primary announcement, so travelers should treat the option as a checkout addition until the airline publishes further guidance.
Emirates is a globally recognised airline brand, and its decision to add a branded crypto payment product carries weight as a mainstream adoption signal for the travel sector. The tie-up puts a consumer-facing crypto checkout in front of a large international customer base.
Crypto.com continues to expand its regional footprint, having pursued licensing in the UAE that could open crypto payments for government services. The Emirates integration extends that positioning into a high-visibility travel use case.
Travel bookings are a high-visibility consumer payment category, and anchoring the launch in the UAE ties it to a market that has actively courted digital asset activity. Dubai has pushed a broader cashless agenda through the Dubai Cashless Strategy.
The region has also drawn regulated crypto infrastructure, including HashKey Middle East's derivatives launch after Dubai VARA approval. A consumer merchant like Emirates accepting crypto adds a retail-facing layer to that institutional buildout.
Who can use it? The launch is directed at Emirates customers booking flights, with Crypto.com Pay offered as a payment method.
Where is it available? The initial rollout is anchored to the UAE, per the airline's announcement.
What does it apply to? It applies to flight bookings, added as a checkout payment option rather than a change to fares or airline operations.
Is the rollout limited to the UAE? The available announcement anchors availability to the UAE and does not confirm a wider geographic expansion.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.
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