Emirates has started offering cryptocurrency payments for eligible customers in the United Arab Emirates. The new feature allows users with Crypto.com accounts to use Crypto.com Pay to purchase the airline's tickets in United Arab Emirates dirham (AED).
The integration was made available on Emirates' digital channels, including online and mobile booking platforms. The initiative represents another application of crypto in consumer services and international travel.
The implementation comes about a year after Emirates and Crypto.com signed a memorandum of understanding, in July of 2025. The agreement established the basis for connecting the Crypto.com Pay system to the airline's global payments infrastructure.
According to Adnan Kazim, Emirates' deputy president and chief commercial officer, the change follows the transformation in consumers' payment habits.
“Bringing this initiative to life fulfills our commitment to expand payment options for customers in their travels. It also reflects the rapidly evolving preferences of a younger, digitally fluent generation that manages its money and plans its travel primarily through mobile phones, and expects the airlines they fly with to keep pace,” Kazim said.
The payment process varies depending on the device used by the passenger. Through the Emirates app, the customer is directed to the Crypto.com app to authorize the operation and complete the purchase.
Those using a computer, meanwhile, encounter a QR code during the payment stage. After scanning the code, the user authorizes the transaction in the Crypto.com app and then receives the booking confirmation and the electronic ticket.
The operation is carried out by Crypto.com's Dubai-based entity. According to the company, this unit was the first virtual asset services provider to receive a Stored Value Facilities license from the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates.
Eric Anziani, president and chief operating officer of Crypto.com, highlighted the importance of the partnership for the expansion of digital payments in the country.
“This collaboration is proof of the innovative and forward-looking approach of the United Arab Emirates, and we are proud to support the Emirates in its entry into the digital payments sector,” Anziani said.