On 3 June 2024, Brussels Airlines launched a new connection, between Brussels Airport in Zaventem and Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi. Belgium and Kenya are now connected with a direct flight. “Brussels Airlines connects Nairobi to Brussels and beyond six times per week: an important milestone for the Belgian National Airline”, the press release says. “Nairobi is a very attractive destination for tourism, businesses and diplomacy.”

Brussels Airlines has officially launched flights to Nairobi. The inaugural flight (SN 481) from Brussels to Jomo Kenyatta Airport took off on Monday 3 June. The Belgian national airline will connect Nairobi to Brussels up to six times per week. 

According to the Kenyan Tourism Board (KTB), the new route will generate extra tourism business and boost Kenya’s economy.

With many connections beyond Brussels throughout Europe and the United States of America, travel options to and from Kenya are significantly expanding thanks to the new route of Brussels Airlines. In the other direction, Europe is the second highest source market contributing to 29% of market share into Kenya, recording 572,352 arrivals last year.

“Connectivity is our key enabler in tourism arrivals into Kenya and we believe that Brussels Airlines will be a major boost towards this front”, June Chepkemei, CEO, Kenyan Tourism Board, says.

Brussels Airlines is the Africa expert within Lufthansa Group, with currently 18 destinations is Sub-Saharan Africa. And the airline has ambitious growth plans, with Nairobi in Kenya as first tangible result of this expansion.

Since the flights went on sale, 50.000 people already booked their ticket to visit Nairobi or to fly from Nairobi to Brussels, making this route already a success before the first flight took off.

“We see a very high interest in our home market Belgium to explore Kenya. Our first flights to Nairobi are completely full. Nairobi is a vibrant city and the perfect gateway for an unforgettable trip to Kenya. The other way around we offer connections to Europe and beyond via Brussels to let Kenyans explore the world, study, or grow their businesses”, Dorothea von Boxberg, CEO, Brussels Airlines, says.

The first flight departed from Brussels after a gate-event in the presence of Dorothea von Boxberg, Arnaud Feist, the CEO of Brussels Airport and Peter Maddens, the Belgian ambassador to Kenya.

“It is also very important and good news for us as an airport that Brussels Airlines is expanding its network with a direct flight to Kenya. This further strengthens both their Africa network and our role as an intercontinental hub for our country. Both for tourism and as a developing African economic centre, Nairobi is an interesting destination for Belgian passengers and transfer passengers. A launch we are happy to support”, Arnaud Feist says.

The flight is about ten hours. 

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