Emirates adds third daily flight to Nairobi
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of its operations in Kenya, Emirates announces the introduction of a third daily Dubai–Nairobi flight from 1 March 2026. With the new frequency, the route will be served by 21 flights per week, connecting Nairobi to Dubai and, from there, to nearly 150 destinations on the airline's global network.
The new rotation introduces an early morning arrival and departure, designed to improve two-way connections with key European markets (UK, France, Norway, Italy) and the US, making access to Kenya easier for international travellers and supporting the national target of 5 million tourists by 2030.
The new schedule is optimized for interline with Kenya Airways, favoring onward flights to regional destinations such as Rwanda, Kilimanjaro (Tanzania), Mozambique and Burundi. Since the signing of the agreement in 2023, more than 31,000 passengers have already taken advantage of the partnership, with almost 50/50 bookings split between the two carriers.
Benefits for cargo and local supply chains
In addition to passenger traffic, the new frequency adds approximately 280 tons per week of belly capacity to/from Nairobi. The morning departure facilitates the export of time- and temperature-sensitive perishables (fruits, vegetables, flowers). With three passenger flights per day and three weekly freighter flights operated by Emirates SkyCargo, total capacity will exceed 1,100 tonnes per week to and from the market.
Since the route opened in 1995, Emirates has carried more than 6.6 million passengers to and from Kenya, fuelling inbound flows from South Korea, China, Thailand, Australia and ultra-long-haul routes such as the US.
The most popular outbound destinations by Kenyan Travellers include Shanghai, Beijing, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Seattle, New York and Washington. In 2024, the company opened the first Emirates World store in Africa in Nairobi, introducing the new retail format in the region with dedicated consultancy and experiential spaces.
