Emirates Joins Ranks of Airlines Accepting Cryptocurrency Payments

Dubai-based Emirates Airline has become one of the first airlines to accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as payment. The airline's partnership with Crypto.com allows customers to book flights using the crypto exchange's payment feature, which can be selected at checkout on emirates.com or through the Emirates App.

The integration is limited for now to eligible UAE residents making bookings priced and settled in Emirati Dirham. This reflects the growing trend of digital payments in Dubai, where the government aims to make 90% of transactions across the emirate's government and private sectors digital by the end of 2026.

The move was welcomed by Adnan Kazim, Emirates' Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, who said it 'reflects the rapidly evolving preferences of a younger, digitally fluent generation'. This partnership with Crypto.com comes after the company struck its own deal with Dubai Finance to accept digital payments for government services.