Emirates, the largest airline in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), announced that it will adopt Bitcoin (BTC) as a payment method and also launch a collection of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to be traded through the company's websites.
At a meeting held at the Arabian Travel Market, Emirates Chief Operating Officer Adel Ahmed Al-Redha reportedly stated that the Dubai-based airline will hire new staff to focus on blockchain-related projects such as cryptocurrency payments, tracking blockchain, metaverse and NFTs.
According to Al-Redha, the airline is looking to use blockchain to keep records of aircraft. In addition, the airline executive also noted that you can use the metaverse to transform your processes like operations, training, website sales and other company-related experiences in the digital world. The airline's COO believes this will make processes “more interactive”.
Another point also mentioned by Al-Redha is that the airline industry is slowly coming back as more and more people are returning to travel and to expand its reach the company is adopting new technologies such as a Bitcoin payment service and collectibles. NFT to be traded.
Airports and airlines around the world are looking for ways to integrate cloud-based technologies. blockchain and cryptographic payments. So much so that in February 2021, Air France partnered with several organizations to create a blockchain-based system that verifies COVID-19 test results.
In March 2021, it was airBaltic's turn to add Dogecoin (DOGE) and Ethereum (ETH) to its payment options. The Latvian airline also accepts BTC since 2014 and allows the use of other currencies such as USD Coin (USDC), Binance USD (BUSD) and Gemini Dollar (GUSD).
Who also uses cryptocurrencies as a form of payments, and it could not be otherwise, is Volaris, from El Salvador, and in October 2021, the Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele announced that the airline will accept payments in BTC, alongside El Salvador's push for BTC adoption when it declared BTC as legal tender.
