Flying soon? Air Arabia just introduced a smarter way to pay

Air Arabia and Al Maryah Community Bank (Mbank) have partnered to enable the use of AE Coin payments for flight bookings through the AEC Wallet App.

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Air Arabia is the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC), and Al Maryah Community Bank (Mbank) is the UAE’s first fully integrated digital bank.

This collaboration makes Air Arabia the first airline in the region to offer stablecoin-based payments, underscoring the carrier’s commitment to offering innovative digital solutions to its customer base, according to a WAM report.

As the UAE’s first AED-backed stablecoin, AE Coin is pegged 1:1 to the UAE Dirham, ensuring price stability, security, and low transaction fees. With this integration, Air Arabia customers can now select the AEC Wallet at checkout when booking through the airline’s website, offering a convenient new payment alternative aligned with the UAE’s vision of a digital-first economy.

“We are proud to partner with Mbank to introduce AE Coin as a secure and innovative payment option for our customers. At Air Arabia, we are committed to embracing digitalization across our operations, and this partnership reflects our efforts to enhance the customer experience through technology. The newly introduced payment option through AEC Wallet reflects our ongoing efforts to adopt smart solutions that bring greater value, choice, and flexibility to our growing customer base,” said Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia.

“We are proud to partner with Air Arabia to offer AE Coin as a payment option for travelers. Air Arabia’s strong reputation as a leading low-cost carrier serving a diverse customer base aligns perfectly with our mission to provide accessible, secure, and affordable digital payment solutions to our community. Through this partnership, we are not only enhancing the booking process but also contributing to the UAE’s broader goal of creating a truly inclusive, digitally empowered financial ecosystem,” commented Mohammed Wassim Khayata, CEO of Mbank.