- Emirates has integrated crypto.com Pay on its website and app, allowing eligible UAE residents to pay for flights with cryptocurrencies.
- Crypto.com handles the conversion to UAE dirhams, and Emirates settles in fiat, not holding crypto.
- The move builds on a partnership announced in July 2025 and Crypto.com‘s UAE central bank SVF license, which enables non-bank digital wallet payments.
- Air Arabia began accepting the dirham-backed AE Coin stablecoin for bookings in May 2025, making this the region’s second airline to offer crypto checkout.
Emirates, the Dubai-based flagship carrier, launched Crypto.com Pay on its website and app Tuesday, enabling eligible United Arab Emirates residents to book flights using cryptocurrencies. Mobile users are sent to the Crypto.com app to authorize payment, while desktop customers scan a QR code at checkout, according to the companies’ announcement.
Emirates settles in UAE dirhams rather than holding crypto, with Crypto.com handling the conversion. “The move reflects the rapidly evolving preferences of a younger, digitally fluent generation who manage their money and plan their journeys primarily from their phones,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ deputy president and chief commercial officer.
The launch implements a partnership announced in July 2025. Crypto.com had received a UAE central bank Stored Value Facilities (SVF) license in May, which the company said could support integrations with Emirates and Dubai Duty Free. An SVF license allows non-bank companies to hold customers’ money or crypto in a digital wallet and process payments under central bank oversight, letting customers fund payments with cryptocurrencies while merchants receive dirhams or approved dirham-backed stablecoins.
According to CoinGecko, Crypto.com handled around $686 million in trading volume in the 24 hours up to the time of writing. Emirates is not the region’s first airline to add a crypto checkout option; Air Arabia began accepting the dirham-backed AE Coin stablecoin for flight bookings in May 2025.
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