Dubai overtakes London as top destination for JKIA travellers

Passenger traffic between Kenya and the Middle East has recovered strongly despite the conflict in the region, with new figures showing a sharp rise in departures from Nairobi and a modest increase in arrivals during July and August.

Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that the number of passengers departing from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) for Middle Eastern destinations increased by 16 per cent to 151,295 in the first two months of the third quarter, up from 130,156 recorded during the same period last year.

Arrivals from the region also grew, rising by 3.8 per cent to 139,175 from 134,033 over the same period, pointing to a recovery in travel between Kenya and Gulf countries months after the Iran war disrupted flights and forced the closure of regional airspace.

The increase comes at a time when the conflict has affected international travel to the Middle East, with some tourists and passengers connecting through the region changing their plans over fears of attacks on airports and other transport facilities.

However, the figures suggest that demand for travel between Kenya and the Middle East has remained strong, with disruptions appearing to delay some journeys rather than lead to outright cancellations. Passenger numbers can also rise when airlines restore services and travellers who postponed their trips resume their plans.

The recovery in Kenya contrasts with a wider decline in international air travel to the Middle East. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), global passenger demand for airlines based in the region, including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways, fell by 14.6 per cent in August compared with the same month last year.

Dubai Airport, the busiest in the region, also recorded a sharp drop in passenger traffic during the first half of the year. It handled 31.5 million passengers, down 31.3 per cent from the 46 million recorded during the same period last year, showing the extent to which the conflict has affected travel through the Gulf.

Kenya's travel figures, however, point to a different trend, particularly on the Nairobi-Dubai route, which recorded a strong recovery in July and August.

Dubai overtook London as the leading destination for passengers departing from JKIA, with 35,994 travellers flying from Nairobi to the Emirati city in August. In comparison, 28,598 passengers travelled from Nairobi to London during the same month.

The growth in passenger numbers has also encouraged airlines to increase their services between Kenya and Dubai, with carriers adding flights and planning to use larger aircraft to meet demand.

In June, Emirates introduced a third daily flight between Nairobi and Dubai. The airline also plans to deploy an Airbus A350 on two of its three daily services, a move expected to increase the number of seats available to travellers on the route.

Kenya Airways has also increased its Nairobi-Dubai operations, raising its daily flights to two from September. The move adds to the capacity available to passengers travelling between the two cities.

Flydubai, an Emirates subsidiary, began operating daily flights between Nairobi and Dubai in October last year, further expanding the services available on the route as demand continued to grow.

The increase in flights points to continued interest in Dubai among travellers departing from Kenya, despite the security concerns and disruption affecting other parts of the Middle East.

Travel between Nairobi and Dubai had fallen sharply in March following the joint United States and Israeli offensive against Iran. Tehran responded with attacks on neighbouring countries, including strikes targeting airports and hotels, adding to concerns over the safety of travel in the region.

The impact was reflected in Kenya's passenger figures, with total air travel between the country and the Middle East falling to 20,599 in March, the lowest monthly level in more than five years.

Passenger traffic began recovering in April, with the improvement continuing into July and August even as travellers from other parts of the world remained cautious about visiting or transiting through the region.

The latest figures show that Kenya's air links with the Middle East have regained momentum, with Dubai emerging as a key destination and airlines expanding their services to accommodate the growing number of passengers.