International Airport In Venezuela Soon To Accept Crypto As Payment
According to local news reports, a major international airport in Venezuela is preparing to start accepting cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) as payment for tickets and other services.
Simón Bolívar International Airport in Venezuela is working to enable cryptocurrency payments to comply with local industry standards, El Siglo reported on Sunday. Also known as Maiquetia, the airport is located in downtown Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.
Freddy Borges, director of the Maiquetía International Airport announced that they are working to enable payment methods for users with cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Dash and Venezuela’s oil-pegged digital currency, the Petro. He also said that the airport’s administration would introduce new payment options in coordination with Venezuela’s National Superintendence of Crypto Assets and Related Activities.
“We will activate a button that is for payment of cryptocurrencies in the airport platforms and commercial activities, in coordination with Sunacrip,” said Borges, during the delivery of the pedestrian access walkways that were rehabilitated.
He indicated that the use of cryptocurrencies will be governed by the National Superintendency of Cryptocurrencies and Related Activities (Sunacrip) and will be an advance towards the international standards of the Maiquetía Airport, given the progressive entry of Russian or European tourists to the country, and a boost to the digital currency that the country is looking for.
“Just as Russian passengers arrived in Margarita, they will also come to La Guaira, through Conviasa, so we must advance in these new economic and technological systems that can be accessed,” Borges said.
He reported that the domestic flights most requested by users during the flexible weeks are with destinations to Nueva Esparta, Los Roques and Maracaibo; and the international ones to Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
The introduction of crypto payments at the Maiquetia airport would mark the company’s commitment to advance toward international standards and drive digital currency adoption, Borges noted. According to the executive, the crypto payment option would benefit foreign tourists, including those from Russia.
“We must advance in these new economic and technological systems to be accessible,” Borges reportedly stated.
The news comes amid Venezuela experimenting with a central bank digital currency (CBDC), with the country’s central bank launching the digital Venezuelan bolivar on October 1. Unlike a CBDC, which is pegged to Venezuela’s national currency, the Petro is an oil-backed cryptocurrency launched by the government in February 2018.
Several airports and airlines around the world have been exploring ways to introduce crypto payments and blockchain-based functionalities in recent years, providing better options for cash payments and improving customer verification services, including COVID-19 test results. In March, Latvian airline airBaltic started accepting Ether (ETH) and Dogecoin (DOGE) as payments for tickets after rolling out crypto payments back in 2014.
