Does the iPad Air 2 have NFC?

No, the iPad Air 2 does not ship with NFC (Near Field Communication). Apple introduced NFC to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus for its new Apple Pay mobile payment system. Since it is unlikely that customers will be making in-store payments with their 9-inch tablets, there is no need for the iPad to feature NFC. The iPad Air will however support Apple Pay with the release of iOS 8.1 for online and in-app purchases.