Emirates Goes Live with Crypto.com Pay @Emirates has officially activated @cryptocom Pay across its website and mobile app, allowing customers to pay for flights using cryptocurrency. The air
@Emirates has officially activated @cryptocom Pay across its website and mobile app, allowing customers to pay for flights using cryptocurrency. The airline has launched Crypto.com Pay, enabling customers to select it at checkout on emirates.com and the Emirates App, with transactions processed securely and in compliance with UAE regulatory standards.
The payment option is available to eligible UAE residents for bookings priced and settled in Emirati Dirham (AED). The integration runs through Crypto.com's Dubai-licensed subsidiary, removing the need for a credit card at the point of purchase.
The launch completes a partnership announced in July 2025, when Emirates and Crypto.com signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore integrating Crypto.com Pay into the airline's digital payment systems.The MoU was signed in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, with key signatories including Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim and Mohammed Al Hakim, President of Crypto.com's UAE operations.
The deployment is more than a product update. It sits squarely within a broader national push to reshape how money moves in the UAE. Dubai has launched an ambitious Cashless Strategy targeting 90% digital transactions by 2026, with officials estimating the shift could add more than AED 8 billion (approximately $2.17 billion) annually to the economy.
The strategy was officially launched under the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33), which aims to double the size of Dubai's economy by 2033 and establish the city among the world's top five destinations for living, investing, and working. The Emirates and Crypto.com integration serves as a concrete example of that agenda moving from policy to practice in the aviation sector.
Supported assets include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cronos, and stablecoins such as USDT and USDC, with plans to extend coverage to over 30 cryptocurrencies. For travelers holding digital assets, the option offers a direct route from wallet to boarding pass, without converting back to fiat first.
The move positions Emirates alongside a small group of carriers experimenting with crypto payments, while reinforcing Dubai's standing as one of the most crypto-forward regulatory environments in the world.
Sources:Emirates and Crypto.com official announcement via UAE Media OfficeDubai Cashless Strategy 2026 overview via Fintech News UAEEmirates and Crypto.com MoU details via Bitcoin News
