Dubai, UAE 17 September 2026: Emirates has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Medical Tourism Association (MTA) signalling a focused push to grow the airline’s footprint in one of the fastest-growing verticals in international travel: medical tourism.
The agreement, signed on the sidelines of ATM 2026, reflects Emirates’ strategy of going beyond traditional leisure and corporate travel to build structured, long-term relationships with an organisation that sits at the centre of how people travel for medical purposes. Long-term demand for healthcare travel is robust and with an affluent traveller profile. Combined with Dubai’s position as a leading healthcare, wellness and medical tourism hub and Emirates’ network of close to 140 destinations, this creates a natural fit and a platform for sustained growth for both organisations.
Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer said: “Healthcare is among the most important reasons people travel internationally and is growing significantly. Our newly established partnership with MTA positions Emirates where premium demand is heading, and our network and superior products both onboard and on the ground provide a natural platform to serve these travellers. The insights we gain from working with MTA will also help us develop product propositions that are genuinely tailored to how these travellers plan, book and experience their journeys.”
Jonathan Edelheit, CEO and Founder of Medical Tourism Association said: “Hospitals and clinics have spent years trying to reach international patients one relationship at a time. What changes with this partnership is that the demand now has a path, from a global airline to an accredited provider, through Better by MTA. The providers who meet the standard will be the ones that path leads to.”
Medical Tourism Association: an airline first
Emirates’ partnership with the Medical Tourism Association (MTA), the world’s leading non-profit body for the medical tourism industry, aims to develop a structured approach to medical, wellness and longevity travel as a strategic new customer segment for the airline.
Emirates is partnering with MTA as the preferred airline for international medical and wellness travellers, combining the airline’s global network with Dubai’s standing as a leading healthcare and medical tourism hub. As MTA’s Airline partner, the aim is to identify key markets and medical travel corridors, particularly across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and develop tailored travel solutions as well as an enhanced customer experience designed around the needs of patients, referring physicians, insurers and employers.
Beyond commercially developing this new and evolving segment for the airline, the agreement will pursue raising international best practices and standards across the sector. Emirates and MTA will collaborate with providers accredited by Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA), the sector’s accreditation body, on thought leadership, industry engagement, and shared market intelligence to better understand medical travel sector’s growth opportunities.
The partnership also supports Emirates’ ambition to become the world’s first GHA-accredited airline. MTA’s global network reaches more than 500,000 healthcare providers, employers, insurers and industry leaders, and millions prospective medical and wellness travelers annually through its platforms, with direct government relationships across over 100 countries and integrates care coordination, travel and payments powered by Mastercard®. As part of the partnership, Emirates and MTA will explore opportunities to leverage the platform to help travellers identify accredited providers, coordinate treatment and travel arrangements, and pay securely across borders, creating a more seamless end-to-end medical travel experience.