In a major step toward the future of travel and finance, Emirates Airline has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Crypto.com. The two companies will work together to explore adding Crypto.com Pay as a payment option for Emirates customers by next year.
The signing took place in Dubai and was witnessed by top officials, including His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline Group. The MoU was signed by Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, and Mohammed Al Hakim, President of Crypto.com’s UAE operations.
Adnan Kazim said the partnership reflects Emirates’ commitment to keeping up with the times and offering more flexible payment choices.
“We want to meet the changing preferences of our customers, especially the younger, tech-savvy travelers who like to use digital currencies. This also fits perfectly with Dubai’s goal to lead in financial innovation.”
Adnan Kazim
Crypto.com, a global crypto company trusted by over 100 million users, says this is an important move for the industry.
“We’re excited to team up with a world-class brand like Emirates. Working with Emirates will help us expand real-world uses for crypto and bring more innovative financial solutions to customers.”
Eric Anziani, President and COO of crypto.com
The two companies also plan to launch joint marketing campaigns to raise awareness and encourage people to try out the new crypto payment option.
This partnership comes at a time when Dubai is becoming a global hub for cryptocurrency. The city offers a strong regulatory system that supports innovation while protecting users. Already, many Dubai businesses, including real estate firms and telecom companies, accept cryptocurrency as payment.
Emirates is not the first airline to explore cryptocurrency payments. Around the world, other airlines like Air Arabia have already taken similar steps. For example, AirBaltic in Latvia was one of the first to accept Bitcoin for flight bookings, later adding more digital currencies like Ethereum and Dogecoin. In Mexico, Volaris, a low-cost airline, has also started working with crypto platforms to allow Bitcoin payments. These moves show that more airlines are starting to see crypto as a smart and modern way to pay, especially for younger travelers who are comfortable using digital wallets.
