Emirates airline has started accepting digital asset payments for flight bookings. The new payment option is available through Crypto.com Pay. Right now, only eligible customers living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can use the service.

Customers can use Crypto.com Pay when booking flights on the Emirates website or mobile app. The payment option is only available for bookings that are priced and paid in UAE dirhams (AED).

This launch follows a partnership that Emirates and Crypto.com announced in July 2025. At that time, the two companies said they would work together to bring bitcoin and digital asset payments to Emirates customers. Emirates had also spoken about plans to accept bitcoin as early as 2022.

Customers with a Crypto.com account can now choose Crypto.com Pay during checkout instead of using a bank card. The payment process is slightly different depending on whether the customer is using a phone or a computer.

On the Emirates mobile app, customers are sent to the Crypto.com app to approve the payment from their bitcoin wallet. After the payment is completed, they are taken back to the Emirates app, where they receive their booking confirmation and electronic ticket.

On a computer, customers choose Crypto.com Pay at checkout and scan a QR code using the Crypto.com app on their phone. After they approve the payment, Emirates issues their booking confirmation and e-ticket.

Emirates says the new payment option gives customers more ways to pay for travel. The airline believes many people now prefer using digital payment methods instead of traditional ones.

"Bringing this initiative to life delivers on our commitment to expanding customer choice in how they pay for travel," said Adnan Kazim, Emirates' Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer.

He added that the move also "reflects the rapidly evolving preferences of a younger, digitally fluent generation who manage their money and plan their journeys primarily from their phones and they expect the airlines they fly with to keep pace."

Crypto.com also welcomed the partnership. Eric Anziani, the company's President and Chief Operating Officer, said, "Partnering with Emirates is a milestone for Crypto.com and our Pay feature." He added that the partnership shows the UAE's strong support for financial innovation.

Although customers pay with digital assets, Emirates does not receive them directly. Instead, Crypto.com converts the digital assets into UAE dirhams before sending the payment to the airline.

The payment system is operated through the company's Dubai-based business. It was the first Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) to receive a Stored Value Facilities (SVF) license from the Central Bank of the UAE. This allows the company to process bitcoin and digital asset payments under UAE regulations.

The new payment option also supports Dubai's Cashless Strategy, which is part of the D33 Economic Agenda. The goal is for 90% of all government and private-sector transactions in Dubai to be digital by the end of 2026.

For now, the service has some limits. It is only available to eligible UAE residents, and only for bookings paid in UAE dirhams. Customers outside the UAE cannot use this service for Emirates flights yet.

Emirates has also not said which digital assets customers can use. The available digital assets depend on what is supported in each customer's Crypto.com account.