Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, has resumed its flights to Tanzania, following a five-day hiatus due to the election chaos in the country.
Emirates have been landing at the Julius Kambarage Nyerere International (JKNIA) in Dar-es-salaam and the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) in the country’s Northern Circuit.
In a travel update on the Emirates website, issued on Wednesday November 5, the airline revealed that flights to and from Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania are taking off again following five days of cancellations.
On the other hand, Emirates recently marked the 30th milestone of successful years of flying to the city of Nairobi in 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 United States.
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 Burundi, Rwanda, Malawi, Mozambique and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.
Christophe Leloup, the Emirates’ Country Manager for Kenya, said since launch, Nairobi has been one of the most consistently busy destinations on the airline’s 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.
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 United Arab Emirates 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 belly hold 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.
Beyond its operations, Emirates supports three Kenyan humanitarian organisations focused on child welfare through the Emirates Airline Foundation.