Three Decades Aloft: Emirates Celebrates 30 Years Of Connecting Nairobi To The World

Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, marks 30 successful years of flying to Nairobi, Kenya. Since the inaugural flight in October 1995, Emirates has carried over 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. In the last year, key inbound traffic has been from Asia and Australasia, including South Korea, China, Thailand, and Australia, as well as ultra-long-haul passengers traveling from the US. The outbound traffic is similar, with travelers from Kenya visiting destinations such as Shanghai and Beijing, China; Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney, Australia; and Seattle, New York, and Washington.

Further expanding their combined footprints, Emirates and Kenya’s flag carrier, Kenya Airways, signed 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 balance between Kenya Airways passengers 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 launch, Nairobi has been one of the most consistently busy destinations on our African network, not just with international tourists but with corporate travelers 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.

Since the very first flight, Emirates has provided an outstanding passenger experience and, to date, remains the only airline serving Kenya with private, enclosed First Class cabins. The airline also offers one of the most generous baggage allowances on the market, starting at two bags at 23KG each in Economy and two bags at 32KG each in First and Business Class, per traveler. Passengers in every cabin can enjoy regionally inspired menus prepared by award-winning chefs, and over 6,500 channels of entertainment, including Kenyan movies, TV shows, and music.

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, operating three weekly freighters into Nairobi, in addition to the bellyhold capacity in passenger aircraft. Kenya is one of the top four flower-producing countries in the world, growing popular buds such as roses, carnations, and chrysanthemums. In 2024, Emirates SkyCargo uplifted over 16,000 tonnes of fresh cut flowers, transporting them from farm to florist in as little as 24 hours.

Emirates also created employment opportunities, both with the 50-person strong staff in Nairobi and across its global operations. Over 1,100 Kenyans work with The Emirates Group in a variety of different roles, from HR, sales and marketing, through to the flight deck. 254 of those employees work as part of Emirates’ multinational Cabin Crew community, and a further 41 are employed as pilots, traveling all over the globe with the world’s largest international airline.

Beyond its operations, Emirates supports three Kenyan humanitarian organizations focused on child welfare through the Emirates Airline Foundation. The Little Prince Nursery and Primary School provides holistic education and rehabilitation for children, and the Foundation has supported its meal programme since 2014; Alfajiri Street Kids offers a safe space and a range of programmes focusing on art therapy for more than 200 children; and finally, the Foundation sponsors four-year scholarships for 10 students at the Starehe Boys’ Centre which delivers academic support for underprivileged boys and includes a high school and multiple tertiary programmes.

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