Emirates and Kenya Airways Join Hands to Launch Flights in Africa

Emirates and Kenya Airways have formed a partnership that allows their passengers to reach new destinations on both airlines’ networks with just one booking. This collaboration offers travelers more options and makes it easy to check in their baggage for the entire journey.

Under this agreement, Emirates passengers can now fly to 28 destinations on the Kenya Airways network, using Nairobi as their starting point. 

This means travelers can visit exciting places like Nampula, Bangui, Bujumbura, Kigali, Dzaoudzi, Lubumbashi, Kinshasa, Kilimanjaro, Juba, and Zanzibar. Moreover, passengers flying with Emirates can now book a single-ticket itinerary to or from Mombasa, a popular leisure destination in Kenya.

For Kenya Airways passengers departing from Nairobi and Mombasa, this partnership opens up access to Emirates’ vast network via Dubai. This allows for smooth travel to 23 destinations across West and South Asia, Far East, Indian Ocean, and Middle East. Some of these destinations include Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok, Beirut, Hong Kong, Jakarta, and Seoul.

According to Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer, this partnership marks their first collaboration with Kenya’s flag carrier. Kazim emphasized the strategic importance of Kenya as a gateway in their African network. 

He expressed excitement about the improved connectivity this agreement brings and the increased travel choices it offers to customers across the continent. 

Julius Thairu, Chief Commercial and Customer Officer at Kenya Airways, also underlined the importance of this partnership in improving connections between Africa and the Middle East via Emirates’ hub in Dubai. 

Tickets for these interline flights can be purchased on emirates.com, online travel agents (OTAs), and major travel agencies.

Emirates began operating flights between Nairobi and Dubai in 1995, and it has steadily expanded the route to offer 14 weekly flights, serving over 5 million passengers over the years. 

Recently, Kenya Airways launched direct flights between Mombasa and Dubai, creating a second hub, alongside Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, to directly connect passengers to the UAE.