Emirates, the Dubai-based flagship carrier, has integrated Crypto.com Pay into its website and mobile application, enabling eligible residents of the United Arab Emirates to book flights using cryptocurrencies. The service was announced on Tuesday and is limited to eligible UAE residents, with bookings priced and settled in dirhams. This launch is a landmark moment for airline payments, reflecting the growing acceptance of digital assets in the travel sector.
How Crypto.com Pay works
The payment flow is designed to be user-friendly and secure. Mobile users are redirected to the Crypto.com app to authorize the transaction from their digital wallet. Desktop users, at checkout, are presented with a QR code, which they scan using the Crypto.com mobile app. Once the transaction is confirmed, the fare is settled in UAE dirhams, with Crypto.com managing the conversion from cryptocurrency to fiat. Emirates does not hold or manage crypto directly, which mitigates the risk of price fluctuations.
This dual-mode approach ensures that customers can use the service regardless of the device they are booking on. It also maintains a high level of security, as users must actively approve the payment through their authentic Crypto.com wallet application.
Strategic rationale
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. His statement highlights a broader industry trend, as airlines and travel companies adapt to changing consumer habits.
Emirates is not the first carrier in the region to offer crypto payments. In May 2025, Air Arabia began accepting the dirham-backed AE Coin stablecoin for flight bookings. That early adoption set the stage for the UAE's aviation sector to embrace digital currencies more broadly. By following suit, Emirates is positioning itself as a leader among full-service carriers in adopting innovative payment technology.
The background of the partnership
The launch implements a partnership announced in July 2025. The agreement was a natural fit, given Crypto.com's ongoing expansion in the Middle East and its success in obtaining a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) license from the UAE central bank. That license, reported back in May, allows Crypto.com to provide regulated payment services, including the ability to hold customer funds in digital wallets and process crypto-to-fiat conversions under central bank oversight.
The SVF license is a critical piece of the regulatory puzzle. It permits non-bank financial institutions to operate in the stored value space, which includes e-wallets and prepaid mechanisms. Under the UAE's framework, companies with an SVF license can accept cryptocurrency from customers, convert it to dirhams, and settle with merchants in fiat currency. This creates a safe and compliant environment for crypto payments.
UAE's crypto-friendly regulatory environment
The UAE has emerged as one of the most progressive jurisdictions for digital assets. Regulatory bodies such as the Securities and Commod
Source: Cointelegraph News