Emirates expands payment flexibility in Kenya through Cellulant | split payment solution News
Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has introduced a unique split payment solution for travelers in Kenya, through a long-term strategic partnership with Cellulant, Africa’s leading payments technology company. The split payment option, powered by Tingg, Cellulant’s payment gateway, has made its debut in Kenya and is expected to be rolled out to other African markets in the coming months.
Tingg’s split payment feature, available on Emirates’ website, offers greater financial flexibility by allowing customers to combine multiple payment methods with mobile money, mobile banking and local credit and debit cards. The partnership also allows customers to make an initial payment online, followed by up to four additional installments within 24 hours, creating greater purchasing power and making airline tickets more accessible to mobile-first customers.
“With hundreds of millions of Africans relying on mobile money as their preferred method of payment, it is essential to extend this convenience to global travel payments,” said Michael Muriuki, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Cellulant. “Through Tingg, we enable Emirates customers to complete high-value transactions seamlessly, without transaction limits being a barrier to entry.”
Commenting on the partnership, Christophe Leloup, Emirates’ Country Manager for Kenya, said: “Kenya is one of the most dynamic markets in our global network and we are always looking for ways to improve our customer experience at every touchpoint, including the booking process. By introducing split payments, through Tingg by Cellulant, we are unlocking greater flexibility and convenience, while giving more customers access to our world-class products and services.”
Solving a real pain point: the breakthrough of split payments
Mobile money is the dominant form of payment across Africa, with more than 1 billion registered mobile money wallets and more than 80 billion transactions totaling more than $1 trillion. But despite widespread adoption, per-transaction and daily limits on mobile wallets often deter customers from making high-value purchases such as international airline tickets, forcing customers to abandon their bookings.
By introducing the split payment solution available through Cellulant’s payment platform, Tingg, Emirates is addressing this challenge head-on by enabling customers to complete ticket bookings while staying within operator-imposed limits.
The split payment feature joins Emirates’ range of other financing options, designed to make airline tickets more accessible to customers. In Kenya, Emirates enables payments through mobile apps such as M-Pesa and Safaricom or through mobile banking, through partner banks, through Cellulant. Across the region, Emirates and Cellulant also facilitate a variety of financing options in 14 markets in Africa, including South Africa, Ghana and Zimbabwe.
The launch comes as Emirates adds a third daily flight on the Dubai-Nairobi route from March 1, 2026, increasing capacity on a high-demand corridor. In recent months, Emirates has operated its double daily flights with a consistently strong seat factor, reflecting the growing demand for air travel between Kenya and global destinations. By combining the additional flights with locally tailored payment options, Cellulant and Emirates are ensuring demand is met with accessibility.
To book split payment tickets, customers can visit the Emirates website.
