Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO)
The airport of Nairobi is the biggest and busiest of East-Africa. Except for visitors to Kenya, it is an important hub for connecting flights to other countries in the region. In 2006, a start was made with improving and extending the facilities. The number of runways will increase and the terminal will be thoroughly renovated, which is high time, because Nairobi Airport had more than reached its limit: the airport was designed to handle 2.5 million passengers a year, but in recent years the actual number of passengers has reached over 4 million.
The terminal has three departments: Units 1 and 2 are for international flights, Unit 3 is used predominantly for domestic flights.
Some of the rates mentioned here are in the Kenyan shilling. 1 euro is worth about 100 shilling (March 2008). Many hotels, taxis and buses only accept American dollars.
Local transport
Train
There is no train connection to Nairobi Airport.
Car and bus
The airport is located 16 kilometres to the south-east of Nairobi, and is easy to reach. Follow the road to seaside resort Mombassa (A-104, Mombassa Highway). After the suburb of Embakasi there are clear signs indicating the road to the airport.
There are buses in front of the terminal building. KBS bus line 34 departs very frequently to the center of Nairobi. The Riverside Shuttle Service (between Nairobi, and Arusha and Moshi in Tanzania) stops at the airport. Seats on this bus have to be booked in advance!
Car rental
There are many car rental companies at Nairobi Airport. In addition to local companies, there are international companies like Avis, Budget, Europcar and Hertz. You can also book a car in advance at EasyTerra, which offers a comparison of several providers.
Taxi
The safest way to get from the airport to Nairobi is by taxi. Immediately after customs, there is a desk that sells taxi tickets at a fixed rate. You can also go outside, but Kenyan drivers are renowned for overcharging. A cab ride to the center of Nairobi takes about half an hour (outside the morning and evening rush hour) and costs about 800-1000 shilling. Kenatco Cab (+254(0)20 21561) is a good taxi company.
Parking
Both the short-term and long-term parking areas are located next to the terminal building. Information about parking rates is not available.
Services
Hotels
There are no hotels on the airport premises. The nearest better hotels are situated in Nairobi itself: Hilton Nairobi Hotel (tel: +254(0)20 250 000), Grand Regency Hotel (tel: +254(0)20 211 199), Fairview Hotel (tel: +254(0)20 288 1000) and the Nairobi Serena Hotel (tel: +254(0)20 282 2000).
Shops and restaurants
There are a few restaurants, (snack) bars and cafés. The Simba restaurant on the top floor is popular; it offers a great view on the flight movements. Coffee afficionados go to the Java Coffee House (near Gate 14). In addition, there are soda and candy machines.
There are a large number of shops: many duty-free shops, but also shops with African souvenirs, clothing and jewellery. There is also a shop that specializes in Kenyan coffee.
Luggage
At the baggage handling area, there is a counter where you can store luggage. The lost and found counter is located at the general information desk.
Information
In both terminals, there is an office of the Airport Manager (+254(0)20 822 111). In addition, there are general information desks and travel agency offices.
Business
Apart from the services that are offered by the lounges of the airline companies, there are no business facilities at Nairobi Airport. The Internet café at Gate 9 (Chapex travel services) also offers fax and copying facilities. Extensive facilities, including meeting rooms and conference halls, are available at the major business hotels in Nairobi (see under Hotels).
Disabled
Nairobi Airport is moderately accessible to disabled people. All the elevators have been modified for wheelchair users, but otherwise the service is not very impressive. For assistance, contact one of the information desks.
Other services
There are exchange offices, banks and a post office throughout the terminal. In the international Arrivals Hall, there is a Barclay’s Bank with an ATM. There is a First Aid station, for medical assistance contact one of the information desks. At Gate 9 there is an Internet café and wireless Internet is available at a few places (including at Gate 10). At Gate 11, there is a children's play area.
Contact
Address
Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Airport North Road
Nairobi 00501
Kenya
Telephone, fax, e-mail
Telephone: +254(0)20 661 1000
Fax: +254(0)20 822 078
E-mail: marketing@kenyaairports.co.ke
Airport codes
IATA airport code: NBO
ICAO airport code: HKJK
Websites
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