Emirates marked 30 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 travelling
from the US.
The outbound traffic
is similar, with travellers 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
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.
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 traveller.
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 flight deck. 254 of those employees work as part of
Emirates’ multinational Cabin Crew community, and a further 41 are employed as
pilots, travelling all over the globe with the world’s largest international
airline.
Beyond its operations,
Emirates supports three Kenyan humanitarian organisations 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. -TradeArabia News Service