--- iata: NBO name: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport city: Nairobi country: Kenya lastUpdated: '2026-09-20' officialWebsite: 'https://www.kaa.go.ke/jomo-kenyatta-international/' sources: - 'https://www.kaa.go.ke/jomo-kenyatta-international/' - 'https://www.kaa.go.ke/flights/departing/' - 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jomo_Kenyatta_International_Airport' - 'https://www.kenya-airways.com/en/book-manage/post-booking/check-in/' - 'https://www.kenya-airways.com/en/experience/at-the-airport/lounge-services/' - 'https://etakenya.go.ke/faqs' - 'https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/kenya/jomo-kenyatta-international' - >- https://transport.go.ke/kaa-presents-jkia-integrated-master-plan-kawu-key-stakeholder - >- https://krc.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Nairobi-Commuter-Rail-Bus-Schedules.pdf quickFacts: - >- Jomo Kenyatta (IATA NBO / ICAO HKJK), Embakasi, Nairobi; operator Kenya Airports Authority; elevation 1,624 m / 5,328 ft - >- 8.6 million passengers in 2024 (KAA master plan / Ministry). Wikipedia leftover 9,067,400 is leftover-conflicting. KNBS leftover 1.5 million is visitor arrivals, not total traffic - >- Live campus: Terminal 1 horseshoe (concourses 1A–1E) plus a separate Terminal 2. There is no T3. Greenfield / second runway are not live - >- Hub for Kenya Airways (SkyTeam) and Jambojet. KQ/SkyTeam international from 1A; other international departures 1B/1C; domestic 1D; international arrivals 1E - >- Priority Pass: Plaza Premium (T1C Level 2 near Gate 4), Aspire (T1B opposite Gate 11), Turkish Airlines Star Alliance (T1E), plus T2 Mount Kenya / Mara (T2 domestic only) - >- About 18 km southeast of the CBD. Nairobi Expressway is live; Uber and Bolt operate. No metro. No train inside the terminal bentoTips: - label: Timing title: Two hours — KQ international desks die at 60 minutes detail: >- KQ web check-in opens 48 hours out (24 hours on US itineraries) and stays open until 1 hour before takeoff. Self-service kiosks on the KAA departing page are KQ, SAA and KLM only. Carry a printed or phone eTA — JKIA does not issue visa-on-arrival. summary: >- KAA asks you to check in at least 2 hours out. Kenya Airways international counters close 1 hour before departure; domestic counters close 30 minutes. category: timing - label: Terminal title: T1 horseshoe 1A–1E; T2 is a different building detail: >- 1A is Kenya Airways / SkyTeam international (opened 1 July 2014). 1B and 1C are other international departures. 1D is domestic. Confirm the boarding pass — assignments move. Greenfield / T3 is not built. Old Embakasi north of the runway is not a passenger hall. summary: >- Most flights use Terminal 1. International arrivals for 1B/1C carriers process at 1E. Terminal 2 is a separate 2015 hall with no airside walk to T1. category: terminal - label: Water title: Buy a sealed bottle landside — no posted fountain map detail: >- Landside shops in the T1 check-in halls before security are the certainty buy. Skip leftover SEO KES bottle prices. Pride / Simba / Asante and the PP rooms pour water once you are in. summary: >- KAA does not publish an airside bottle tariff or a fountain map. Lounge water is the quality pick if you already hold access. category: food - label: Lounge title: 'PP is Plaza Premium, Aspire or Turkish — not Pride' detail: >- KQ Premier World and SkyTeam Platinum / Gold use Pride, Simba and Asante. Pay-pass on the KQ page is USD 40 / 75 / 110 / 140. Mount Kenya and Mara are T2-only — a T1 boarding pass will not reach them airside. summary: >- Priority Pass is Plaza Premium (T1C Gate 4, max 2 h), Aspire (T1B Gate 11, max 3 h) or Turkish (T1E, showers, max 3 h). Pride and Simba in 1A are Kenya Airways rooms. category: status lounges: - name: Kenya Airways Pride Lounge zone: Airside T1A after security / immigration hours: '05:00–00:01 (KQ pay-pass T&Cs); Asante.kenya-airways leftover-prints 24/7' access: - Kenya Airways Premier World / Business - SkyTeam Platinum and Gold - Pay-per-use USD 40 (0–3 h) / 75 / 110 / 140 bestFor: - KQ Premier World departing 1A - SkyTeam Gold / Platinum on a SkyTeam flight - Long T1A connections summary: >- Kenya Airways’ flagship 1A room (opened January 2015 with Simba). Premier World and SkyTeam Platinum/Gold — not Priority Pass. Live cooking from 1 October; napping area and runway views. Pay-pass T&Cs print 05:00–00:01. verdict: worth-it terminal: Terminal 1A amenities: - Live cooking / buffet - Showers (operator listing) - Napping area / quiet Savannah seating - Wi-Fi / business alcove - name: Plaza Premium Lounge zone: 'Airside after security and passport control, Level 2 near Gate 4' hours: '00:00–23:59 daily (Priority Pass); max stay 2 hours; under-2 free' access: - Priority Pass - Pay-per-use / eligible cards bestFor: - Priority Pass holders on a T1C international wait - Red-eyes (true 24-hour listing) summary: >- Independent T1C card lounge, Level 2 near Gate 4 after security and immigration. Priority Pass lists 00:00–23:59, max stay 2 hours, children under 2 free. The airport index leftover-prints Terminal 1D — sit the dedicated lounge page (T1C). Do not confuse it with Pride in 1A. verdict: worth-it terminal: Terminal 1C amenities: - Complimentary standard alcohol (Priority Pass) - Wi-Fi / air conditioning - PRM access - name: Turkish Airlines Star Alliance Lounge zone: 'Airside departures, corridor from Gate 13 to Gate 4' hours: >- 00:00–23:59 daily (Priority Pass); max stay 3 hours; under-2 free; international flights only access: - Priority Pass - Star Alliance Gold / Turkish Airlines entitlement bestFor: - Priority Pass showers on a T1 international wait - Star Alliance Gold on a Star-operated flight summary: >- T1E airside after security, along the Gate 13–Gate 4 corridor. Priority Pass lists 24 hours, max stay 3 hours, international only, showers. Wikipedia leftover T1D is leftover-stale — sit the live PP page (T1E). verdict: worth-it terminal: Terminal 1E amenities: - Showers (Priority Pass facility list) - Prayer room / children’s play corner - Complimentary standard alcohol - Wi-Fi / flight screens - name: Aspire Nairobi zone: Airside opposite Gate 11 hours: >- 00:00–23:59 daily (Priority Pass); max stay 3 hours; under-2 free; smart casual access: - Priority Pass - Pay-per-use / eligible cards bestFor: - Priority Pass holders gated at 1B summary: >- Swissport Aspire room airside T1B opposite Gate 11. Priority Pass 00:00–23:59, max stay 3 hours, under-2 free, smart casual. Smaller and snack-led versus Plaza Premium or Turkish. Wikipedia leftover T1C is leftover-stale — sit the live PP page (T1B). verdict: depends terminal: Terminal 1B amenities: - Drinks / snacks - Wi-Fi / flight screens - PRM access - name: Kenya Airways Simba Lounge zone: Airside T1A — the smaller KQ room next to Pride hours: '05:00–00:01 (KQ pay-pass T&Cs)' access: - Kenya Airways Premier World / Business - SkyTeam Platinum and Gold - Pay-per-use USD 40 (0–3 h) / 75 / 110 / 140 bestFor: - KQ Premier World when Pride is full - A quieter 1A wait summary: >- The smaller January 2015 KQ twin of Pride in T1A, with the Manyatta / melting-pot room. Same airline/status rules as Pride — not Priority Pass. VVIP room is an extra USD charge on the KQ page. Use Pride first unless this room is quieter. verdict: depends terminal: Terminal 1A amenities: - Buffet / bar - Manyatta seating / VVIP room (extra) - Wi-Fi waterOptions: - kind: free name: Lounge water zone: airside price: Included with lounge access summary: >- Sealed or poured water once you are in a KQ or Priority Pass room. Quality pick if you already hold access. location: >- Pride or Simba in T1A, Plaza Premium Level 2 near Gate 4, Aspire opposite Gate 11, or Turkish on the Gate 13–4 corridor terminal: Terminal 1 isBestQuality: true - kind: purchase name: Landside T1 check-in shops zone: landside price: Buy a sealed bottle before security — no posted KES tariff summary: >- Certainty pick because KAA does not publish an airside fountain map or a bottle price. Skip leftover SEO KES figures. location: T1 landside check-in halls before security in 1A / 1B / 1C terminal: Terminal 1 isBestValue: true airportistScore: 6.7 slug: nbo region: Africa --- > Markdown for [/airports/nbo](/airports/nbo). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/nbo) - [Lounge directory](/airports/nbo/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) Nairobi, Kenya · Africa Kenya’s SkyTeam hub is an 18 km Expressway hop with dense lounges, but a five-part T1 horseshoe, a separate T2 and a single runway keep it a 6.7 rather than a slam-dunk. ## Airportist Score **6.7 / 10** Weighted sum of the six published categories (no holistic fudge). - Ease of use (25%): 6.6 — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout. - Comfort & amenities (20%): 6.8 — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet. - Food & retail (15%): 6.4 — Food and retail quality and variety. - Ground access (15%): 7.6 — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city. - Reliability (15%): 5.8 — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience. - Lounges (10%): 7.4 — Worth-it density and access quality. ## At a glance - Passengers: 8.6 million (2024) - Terminals: 2 (T1 concourses 1A–1E + separate T2) - Typical security: 25 min - On-time: 0% - Disruption: normal ## Best for - Kenya Airways / SkyTeam connections across Africa - Priority Pass showers in the Turkish T1E room - Uber / Bolt on the Nairobi Expressway to the CBD ## Watch out for - T1 1A vs 1B/1C vs 1E arrivals — confirm the hall - No metro and no train in the terminal - eTA must be approved before you fly — no VOA desk - Single runway; Greenfield / T3 is not live ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/nbo/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/nbo/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/nbo/amenities.md) (free) - [Traveler tips](/airports/nbo/tips.md) (free) - [Water](/airports/nbo/water.md) (free) - [Full guide](/airports/nbo/guide.md) (free) - [Disruptions](/airports/nbo/disruptions.md) (free) - [Reviews](/airports/nbo/reviews.md) (free)