✈️ Nairobi Emerges as a New Hub for Business Aviation Arrivals in East Africa
Avi-Go data shows that Nairobi's HKJK airport recorded a total of 1,340 business jet movements between January 1 and June 12, 2026, an 87.2% year-over-year increase from 716 movements during the same period in 2025—nearly doubling. Among these, arrivals surged from 317 to 670 movements, a jump of 111.4%. Notably, the distribution of arrivals and departures at the airport in 2026 trended toward balance (both at 670 movements), whereas the same period in 2025 showed a clear gap with 317 arrivals and 399 departures. This structural shift, coupled with ACASS placing its Kenya-based BBJ2 and Legacy 650 into global charter operations and the expansion of business travel demand in East Africa, positions Nairobi as a pivotal market driving strong growth in business aviation arrival demand across Africa.
Impact: With arrivals and departures approaching parity, Nairobi is transforming from a pure point of origin into a destination with reception capacity, which will drive a simultaneous rise in demand for ground services, hangars, and overnight parking. For FBOs and local operators, stable two-way traffic enhances the commercial viability of establishing a base presence.
Recommendation: FBOs and ground handlers should complete the expansion of parking stands and supporting services before the peak season in the third quarter of 2026 to capture the two-way traffic dividend. Charter operators may evaluate adding support resources or a repositioning base at HKJK in the second half of 2026 to seize the window of rising East African demand.