You can now pay for Air Arabia flights with crypto in the UAE
Crypto just took off…
Paying for your next flight just got a little more futuristic. If you're the kind of traveller who's into crypto and keen on finding smart ways to spend it, this one's for you. Crypto check-in begins now
Air Arabia is officially the first airline in the region to accept payments via stablecoin – specifically, AE Coin. The budget-friendly Sharjah-based airline has teamed up with Mbank, the UAE's first fully digital bank, to roll this out. AE Coin 101
Think of AE Coin as digital dirhams. It's a stablecoin, which means it's pegged 1:1 to the UAE dirham – so it doesn't fluctuate like Bitcoin or Ethereum. That makes it secure, predictable, and practical for everyday payments. It's also designed to keep transaction fees low. How it works
To book your flight, all you need to do is pay through the AEC Wallet App while checking out on the Air Arabia website. Why it matters
Stablecoins are booming, and AE Coin is the UAE's first of its kind. This move doesn't just add convenience – it fits neatly into the country's wider vision of becoming a leader in digital finance. Adel Al Ali, Group CEO of Air Arabia, calls it part of their mission to bring tech-driven value and flexibility to travellers. Not just for crypto fans
You don't need to be deep into Web3 to use AE Coin. If you've got the AEC Wallet App, you're ready to go. And with more UAE companies jumping into stablecoins, this might just be the first of many mainstream crypto rollouts. So next time you're planning a getaway, your wallet doesn't need to be leather – it just needs to be digital. More than just a flight
This isn't just about booking flights with a new payment method. It's a step towards a smarter, more inclusive financial ecosystem, as Mbank's CEO Mohammed Wassim Khayata explains. The collaboration brings together budget travel and forward-thinking finance – So if you've been holding AE Coin and waiting for a good excuse to use it, here's your sign.
Image: airarabia.com
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