Emirates is celebrating three full decades of operations in Kenya, having launched its first flight into Nairobi in October 1995. During this period, the airline has carried at least 6.6 million passengers to and from Kenya, across more than 34,250 flights.
Emirates currently operates two daily Boeing 777 flights from Nairobi’s international airport, linking Kenya’s capital to more than 145 destinations worldwide.
In the most recent year, inbound tourism to Kenya via Emirates was particularly strong from Asia and Australasia, including South Korea, China, Thailand and Australia. At the same time, outbound Kenyan travellers have taken Emirates flights to cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Seattle, New York and Washington.
In 2023, Emirates entered a one-ticket interline cooperation with Kenya Airways, Kenya’s flag carrier. This partnership allows seamless itineraries for passengers traveling on both airlines’ networks.
Over the past two years, about 31,000 passengers have made use of this arrangement — roughly split evenly between Emirates and Kenya Airways customers. Key onward destinations for Emirates passengers include Rwanda, Malawi, Tanzania (Kilimanjaro), Mozambique and Burundi.
Emirates isn’t just flying passengers — its cargo arm, Emirates SkyCargo, plays a major role in freight services into Kenya. With three weekly freighter flights to Nairobi in addition to belly-hold capacity on passenger aircraft, Emirates supports Kenya’s export markets — particularly the flower industry. In 2024, over 16,000 tonnes of fresh-cut flowers (roses, carnations, chrysanthemums) were shipped from Kenya to global markets, with transit in as little as 24 hours.
Additionally, the airline highlights the role of the recently signed Kenya–UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which offers new momentum for trade, investment and aviation-linked growth between the two countries.
Emirates remains the only airline serving Kenya that offers private, enclosed First Class cabins — a premium product not offered by other carriers in the market.
On the service side, the airline promotes generous baggage allowances (for example, two bags of 23 kg each in Economy; two bags of 32 kg each in First and Business) and more than 6,500 channels of onboard entertainment including Kenyan movies, TV and music.
In terms of employment, over 1,100 Kenyans work for the Emirates Group globally, including 254 cabin crew members and 41 pilots. Locally in Nairobi there is also a dedicated staff of about 50 people.
In 2024, Emirates opened Africa’s first Emirates World travel-store concept in Nairobi, located at The Cube, Riverside Drive. The store offers expert travel advice, immersive displays and the airline’s elevated retail brand experience.
Through its charitable arm, the Emirates Airline Foundation, the airline supports several Kenyan organisations:
- Little Prince Nursery and Primary School: providing holistic education and rehabilitation, supported since 2014.
- Alfajiri Street Kids: offering art therapy and safe-space programmes for 200+ children.
- Starehe Boys’ Centre: sponsoring four-year scholarships for 10 under-privileged students.
- For Kenya: Emirates’ long-standing presence supports tourism growth, corporate connectivity and trade infrastructure.
- For East Africa: The Kenya hub and the interline partnership with Kenya Airways enhance regional access and mobility to/from India, Asia, Australia, the Americas.
- For Emirates: Nairobi remains a strategic gateway — passengers are flowing from Asia, Australasia and North America, and the cargo operations deepen the airline’s value beyond just passenger transport.
- For business & trade: The CEPA between Kenya and the UAE provides a platform for further aviation-linked growth, logistics, exports (such as flowers) and investment.
In his comments, Emirates Country Manager for Kenya, Christophe Leloup, said that Nairobi has been “one of the most consistently busy destinations on our African network… we have steadily and strategically expanded our operations both in the skies and on the ground … and remain committed to the destination for the decades to come.
With growing demand from Asia-Pacific, North America and Africa, and cargo flows underpinned by Kenya’s agricultural exports, the next phase for Emirates in Kenya likely involves deeper integration into regional connectivity, enhanced retail and ground services, and leveraging Kenya’s role as a hub for East and Southern Africa.
