Emirates announces third daily flight to Nairobi

 Building on Emirates’ 30th anniversary of operations to Kenya, the world’s largest international airline has announced a third daily flight to Nairobi, commencing March 1, 2026. 

With the additional frequency, the Kenyan capital will be served with 21 Emirates flights per week, connecting travellers to Dubai, and onwards to the airline’s vast global network of close to 150 destinations.

The new flight complements Emirates’ existing schedule into Nairobi, adding an early morning arrival and departure to enhance two-way connectivity with key European destinations, including the UK, France, Norway and Italy, as well as the US. By creating easier access from key markets, the additional frequency will further support Kenya’s tourism goals, which aim to attract 5 million international tourists by 2030. EK717 will depart Dubai at 00:55 hrs, arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 05:05 hrs; the return flight, EK718, will depart Nairobi at 06:50 hrs and arrive in Dubai at 12:50 hrs.

In recent months, Emirates has been operating its double daily flights at a healthy seat factor, underlining the growing demand for air travel. The third daily service, operated on a three-class Boeing 777, will boost Emirates’ capacity and provide more access to the airline’s world-class product and services, including its First Class cabins, which Emirates exclusively operates in and out of the city.

The new flight schedule has been optimised for connectivity with key flights operated by Kenya Airways, enabling seamless onward travel to top regional destinations such as Rwanda, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mozambique and Burundi. Since signing the agreement in 2023, over 31,000 passengers have benefited from the interline partnership between the two airlines, with a near 50/50 split of bookings, highlighting the mutual benefits for both Emirates and Kenya Airways customers, the airline said.

Beyond passenger travel, the additional flight will also boost the transportation of goods to and from Kenya, with an additional 280 tonnes of capacity weekly in and out of Nairobi via the belly of the Boeing 777. The early morning departure will be particularly beneficial for the movement of time- and temperature-sensitive perishable commodities like fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers, it said. - TradeArabia News Service