NAIROBI, Kenya, October 30, 2025/APO Group: Considered as the world’s largest international airline, Emirates has marked 30 successful years of flying to Nairobi, Kenya, since its inaugural flight in October 1995, where it has served 6.6 million passengers to and from the country, on over 34,250 flights. Served with a double daily Boeing 777 service, Emirates connects Nairobi, one of the fastest growing cities in Africa, with over 145 countries on its vast global network, facilitating trade and tourism.
As part of efforts to combine footprints, Emirates and Kenya’s flag carrier, Kenya Airways, inked an interline partnership in 2023, offering seamless one-ticket itineraries and unlocking connectivity to some of the most in-demand tourist destinations in East Africa. In the last 2 years, 31,000 passengers have taken advantage of the partnership, with almost a 50/50 seat sharing between both Kenya Airways and Emirates passengers. The most popular destinations Emirates passengers travel to beyond Nairobi are Rwanda, Malawi, Tanzania (Kilimanjaro), Mozambique, and Burundi.
Commenting on the milestone anniversary, Christophe Leloup, Emirates’ Country Manager for Kenya, said: “Since the launch, Nairobi has been one of the most consistently busy destinations on our African network, not just with international tourists but with corporate travellers connecting with one of the continent’s major economic hubs. Over the last three decades, we have steadily and strategically expanded our operations both in the skies and on the ground to provide our renowned world-class experience in Kenya. We are proud to play a key role in Kenya’s aviation, tourism, and trade journey and remain committed to the destination for the decades to come.”
Nairobi is home to Africa’s very first Emirates World Travel Store, which opened its doors and introduced the airline’s reimagined retail concept in 2024. Centrally located in the ultra-modern Cube, Riverside Drive, the store offers customers expert travel advice, immersive displays, and the airline’s elevated experience.
Kenya and the UAE have deep-rooted and mutually beneficial bilateral and economic relations, headlined by the signing of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement earlier this year. Emirates SkyCargo, the airline’s freight division, has played a key role in facilitating global trade with Kenya, with the chartering of three weekly freighters into Nairobi, in addition to the bellyhold capacity in passenger aircraft.
