Emirates to Launch Third Daily Service to Nairobi in 2026

‍NAIROBI — Emirates (EK) has announced a third daily flight to Nairobi starting March next year. The new flight complements the airline's existing double-daily Nairobi schedule, adding early morning arrivals and departures to enhance connectivity with key European destinations.

The additional flight means that the airline will indeed serve Nairobi 21 times a week. EK717 will depart DXB at 00:00, arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) at 05:05 the same day.

The return flight, EK718, will depart NBO at 06:50 and arrive in DXB at 12:50 the same day. All times are local times.

Third Daily NBO Flight

This third rotation will operate with a Boeing 777 aircraft, configured with a three-class cabin. The aircraft offers First Class cabins, which Emirates operates exclusively into and out of NBO.

According to Africa Newsroom, in October, EK marked 30 years of service to the Kenyan capital since its inaugural flight in 1995. During this time, the airline has carried over 6.6 million passengers to and from NBO.

The new flight schedule has been optimised to connect with key Kenya Airways (KQ) flights, enabling seamless onward travel to top regional destinations such as Rwanda, Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mozambique, and Burundi. 

The additional flight will also boost cargo services to and from Kenya. In fact, it will provide a further 280 tonnes of weekly capacity to and from NBO.

The early morning departure will be particularly beneficial for the movement of time- and temperature-sensitive perishable commodities, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers.