Several airlines based in the United Arab Emirates have begun accepting cryptocurrency for ticket purchases, expanding the country’s push to position itself as a digital-asset hub. Emirates, Air Arabia and other regional carriers now let customers pay for flights in Bitcoin, Ether and the dollar-pegged stablecoin Tether, according to information released on 22 August. The option is initially available through each airline’s direct sales channels and will be extended across their networks over the coming year, with a wider rollout slated to be completed by 2026. The move gives travellers an additional payment method while allowing the carriers to tap a growing pool of crypto-holding customers without the foreign-exchange fees associated with conventional cards. UAE regulators have been encouraging controlled adoption of digital assets, and the aviation industry’s embrace of crypto follows similar steps by hotels and retail groups in the Gulf state. The airlines said settlement will be handled through licensed payment processors that convert the tokens into fiat currency at the point of sale, limiting price-volatility risk on their balance sheets.