Emirates now to operate 21 weekly flights between Dubai and Nairobi

Emirates Airline has announced increased flights between its base in Dubai and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport of Nairobi.

The UAE operated airline has been ferrying more than 6 million passengers to and from Nairobi for the last 31 years at the average rate of 200,000 travelers per year.

Now, with the launch of EK717, a morning flight, Emirates is currently offering 21 weekly flights on the Dubai-Nairobi route, strengthening global connectivity and supporting Kenya’s tourism ambitions. The Tanzania Times was told. 

Optimally timed for the summer schedule, the Emirates EK717 departs Dubai at 01:20 and arrives in Nairobi at 05:25 (local time), allowing better connectivity from major US gateways and key destinations in Europe.

Emirates’ return flight, EK718, departs Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi at 07:10 and arrives in Dubai, United Arab Emirates at 13:15 (local time).

The addition of the morning schedule adds a new, complementary dynamic to Emirates’ operations: for international tourists arriving in Nairobi, they have more time to reach their final destination even if outside the city – such as a lodge in one of the national parks, or a beach house on the Kenyan coast.

For business travelers, the flight’s morning outbound reportedly enables same-day connections to key commercial hubs in Europe, such as London and Paris.

The additional frequency also unlocks an extra 280 tons of cargo capacity every week.

For Kenya’s flower farmers and fresh produce exporters, in the country’s thriving horticultural industry, the early morning departure is a huge boon, allowing flowers to be picked and on their way to markets in Europe and the Gulf by dawn, arriving fresh and blooming.

Fresh cut flowers from the Tanzania’s Northern Zone regions of Arusha and Kilimanjaro sometimes also uses the Jomo Kenyatta International terminal of Nairobi to export their produce.

Along with Emirates SkyCargo’s three weekly freighters already serving Nairobi, the airline now transports over 1,100 tonnes of goods in and out of Kenya weekly.

Emirates operated its first flight into Nairobi in 1995 and, in the three decades since, has transported over 6 million passengers to and from the country, connecting Kenya to over 138 global destinations, via Dubai.