Dubai-based Emirates Airlines has introduced cryptocurrency payments for flight bookings, allowing eligible customers in the United Arab Emirates to pay for tickets through digital assets on the airline’s website and mobile application.
The airline announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with Crypto.com, a licensed cryptocurrency exchange, to provide the new payment option. The service enables customers with a Crypto.com account to use Crypto.com Pay when booking flights through emirates.com or the Emirates App. Transactions will be processed securely and in line with UAE regulatory standards.
The cryptocurrency payment option is currently available to eligible UAE residents for bookings that are priced and settled in Emirati Dirhams.
Crypto.com, headquartered in Singapore, became the first Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) to receive a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) licence from the Central Bank of the UAE. The licence allows the company to offer regulated payment services in the country, supporting the UAE’s growing digital finance sector.
The booking process has been designed to work across both mobile and desktop platforms. Customers using the Emirates App who select Crypto.com Pay at checkout will be redirected to the Crypto.com application, where they can approve the payment from their digital wallet. Once the transaction is completed, they are automatically returned to the Emirates App, where they receive their booking confirmation and electronic ticket.
For customers making reservations through the Emirates website on a desktop computer, selecting Crypto.com Pay during checkout generates a QR code on the payment page. Users scan the code with the Crypto.com mobile app, approve the transaction, and receive their booking confirmation and e-ticket after the payment is verified.
The latest move reflects the UAE’s wider push to expand the use of digital payments across the economy. Businesses and government entities have increasingly embraced cryptocurrency and blockchain-based payment systems as the country seeks to strengthen its position as a global hub for financial technology and digital assets.
The rollout also supports the Dubai Cashless Strategy, a key initiative under the emirate’s D33 Economic Agenda. The strategy aims for 90 percent of financial transactions in both the public and private sectors to be conducted through digital payment methods by the end of 2026.
Emirates has been steadily expanding its digital payment offerings. Last year, the airline signed a partnership with Dubai Finance to promote advanced digital payment solutions. The latest agreement with Crypto.com follows the exchange’s own collaboration with Dubai Finance, which enables cryptocurrency payments for a range of government services.
By adding cryptocurrency as a payment option, Emirates is expanding the range of payment methods available to customers while supporting Dubai’s goal of building a more digitally connected and cashless economy.
