Emirates has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Medical Tourism Association (MTA) to expand its presence in medical, wellness and longevity travel, creating a structured approach to serving international travellers seeking healthcare abroad.

The partnership, signed on the sidelines of ATM 2026, reflects Emirates' focus on developing relationships beyond traditional leisure and corporate travel. The airline will work with MTA to explore medical tourism as a strategic customer segment, combining its global network of close to 140 destinations with Dubai's position as a healthcare, wellness and medical tourism hub.

Under the partnership, Emirates will serve as the preferred airline for international medical and wellness travellers associated with MTA. The collaboration will focus on identifying key medical travel markets and corridors, particularly across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and developing travel solutions tailored to the needs of medical travellers.

The proposed approach will consider the wider journey of medical tourists, including the requirements of patients, referring physicians, insurers and employers. Emirates and MTA will explore opportunities to improve the customer experience around travel planning, treatment coordination and other aspects of international medical travel.

Commenting on the partnership, Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates, 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 the 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.”

Building a Medical Tourism Travel Network

The partnership aims to develop a more structured ecosystem connecting international travellers with healthcare providers. Emirates and MTA will work with providers accredited by Global Healthcare Accreditation (GHA) on industry engagement, thought leadership and shared market intelligence.

The collaboration will also explore ways to identify key medical travel corridors and understand emerging opportunities in the sector. This includes examining how travel services can better support patients travelling internationally for planned healthcare and wellness services.

As part of the agreement, Emirates is also pursuing its ambition to become the world's first GHA-accredited airline.

MTA's network includes more than 500,000 healthcare providers, employers, insurers and industry leaders, while its platforms reach millions of prospective medical and wellness travellers annually. The organisation also maintains direct government relationships across more than 100 countries.

Emirates and MTA will explore opportunities to use the association's platform to help travellers identify accredited healthcare providers, coordinate treatment and travel arrangements, and facilitate secure cross-border payments through Mastercard.

The partnership brings together aviation, healthcare and travel services with the aim of making international medical travel more coordinated and accessible while creating new opportunities within the growing medical tourism segment.