The airline works together with the Crypto exchange to introduce crypto payments in travel, with the aim of meeting the growing customer’s growing demand for digital assets options.
According to a July 9 announcementEmirates has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOU) with crypto.com to integrate digital payments into its services. The rollout starts with crypto.com pay, so that customers can use cryptocurrency as a payment option for flights and other transactions.
The agreement was formalized in Dubai, observed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline & Group. It was signed by Adnan Kazim, Vice -President and Chief Commercial Officer of Emirates, and Mohammed Al Hakim, president of Crypto.com’s VAE operations.
Emirates stated that the relocation reflects its wider digital strategy and goal to offer flexible payment options to customers. The partnership builds on its earlier interest in crypto payments that go back to 2022, when COO Adel Ahmed al-Redha had driven plans to accept Bitcoin (BTC) shortly after the VAE had introduced crypto-friendly regulations.
In commentary on the deal, the vice-president and chief commercial officer of Emirates Adnan Kazim said that the airline sees the growing demand and the momentum around crypto as a legitimate payment method, especially under technology driven travelers.
“Working with Crypto.com to integrate Cryptocurrency into our digital payment system reflects the dedication of Emirates to meet the evolving customer preferences, in addition to tapping younger, technically educated customer segments that prefer digital currency,” he said.
Crypto.com President and COO Eric Anziani added that the partnership marks a new step in expanding Real-World use cases for crypto payments and will stimulate a momentum for the broader digital asset industry.
The position is expected to go live next year, as soon as internal readiness and approvals of the regulations are present. Both Emirates and Crypto.com will also investigate the use of promotional marketing campaigns to create awareness and to encourage the acceptance of this new payment solution.
If completed, Emirates would become one of the first major international airlines that fully integrates crypto into his payment stack.
