Nairobi Airport

Customer Reviews

No Skytrax Rating
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Queuing Times 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Staff 12345
Customer rating from 85 reviews
3/10
No Skytrax Rating
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3/10

"29°C are not acceptable"

(Germany)

Trip Verified | I usually like to travel through NBO. The many security checks are a bit useless. But still a I like the airport as it is not so big with ok facilities. But now the aircon in the KQ "Pride Lounge" is not working for two weeks already. The two mobile aircons do only help when you embrace them. 29°C are not acceptable. It is really a shame!
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitApril 2025
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
2/10

"A truly awful airport to fly from"

(United Kingdom)

Trip Verified | A truly awful airport to fly from in so many way. We had to pass through 4 stages of security starting outside the airport which was so cursory it was meaningless. Then we had to go through 3 full-on get undressed security stations one within yards of actually boarding. I wouldn’t mind if it made you feel safer but it didn’t. There was zero signage to find the Premium Plaza lounge that BA use, and staff sent us in 3 different directions. All in all a depressing way to end a great holiday.
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitFebruary 2025
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages N/A
Airport Staff 12345
no
2/10

“staff are unfriendly and rude”

(Saudi Arabia)

Not Verified | This airport is horrible. The staff are unfriendly and rude, they are close minded, do not respect airlines priority boarding! Painful to check in and even to pass through control check in. Very disappointing after a nice trip to have to deal with frustrated employees.
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitFebruary 2025
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
3/10

"SkyPriority is ignored"

(Zambia)

Not Verified |   I am a Business Traveller and have Sky Priority. The Sky Priority queues in Nairobi are never monitored and are always a free-for-all. Why can't there be staff to man the queue? The chaos causes delays every time. When you speak to staff they ignore you. I dread going through Nairobi. Boarding the plane, Sky Priority is ignored. Everyone gets up and you have to push your way through as a Business Class passenger!
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitMarch 2024
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"worst airport to transit through"

(Uganda)

Trip Verified |  Always the same. Coming off a long haul flight and transiting through JKIA. Even as a business class traveller the queue for the transit security check takes at least an hour. Total chaos reigns. Only two gates are open. Security staff totally overwhelmed. This is by far the worst airport to transit through
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitSeptember 2023
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
3/10

"It was confusing and messy"

(Tanzania)

Trip Verified | Due to a late arrival of our international flight we needed to stay overnight in Nairobi. Though we had a great stay at the hotel, it was really short because all took so long at the airport after landing. It was confusing and messy. As I was traveling as a mum alone with 2 young children it always a challenge in itself so late at night. (Landed around 11.15pm if not mistaken). My children’s boarding pass was printed but not mine, so staff took my original boarding pass and went to print it, so I ended up totally at the back of the queue. Despite asking I was not allowed to shift back forward with the children. I showed them my Tz residence permit while I was in the queue so I was told I didn’t need to fill in a form. But 10 minutes after completing the immigration check I was called back to fill a form anyway. Immigration officer was very insensitive by - yet again - asking out loud and in front of my children « are these your children ». When I commented that he should be more sensitive with this question in front of the children he refused to stamp our passports. Then he went to watch some video/movie on his phone. We waited really long, both in the immigration queue as well as downstairs. WiFi was not working (there had also been no WiFi in the plane, so had not been able to notify anyone). Nobody of the staff provided much information. We were « dumped » in another queue downstairs not knowing what was meant to happen. We waited a really long time for the hotel pick up with no info. Six weeks ago, we also passed through Nairobi airport, and both going and return we (a small group of passengers) got lost in transit, up and down stairs. It took a while to figure out where go. Both building and staff are the most disappointing I have ever encountered in any of my trips. Will do whatever possible to avoid this airport in the future. Kenya. What a missed chance to shine.
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitAugust 2023
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages N/A
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
3/10

"Very expensive"

(South Africa)

Not Verified | Very expensive compared to any other airports that I have used. Facilities are very basic. The inflight information board does not update making it difficult. The announcement is also done in a local accent that is not clear.
Experience At AirportArrival and Departure
Date VisitJanuary 2023
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
2/10

"lock your bags with as many locks as you can"

(United Kingdom)

Trip Verified | Baggage collection-I discovered that staff in Nairobi attempted and managed to break the zip for one of the bags, because the padlock was too hard to pick. I could not tell if anything was taken but if anything was taken, it is not that important as I could not tell what it was. Return journey, staff dealing with baggage managed to uncode my bag and removed items of clothing which again we cannot tell what they took as we never count what we take on holiday to wear. Our bag was 3kg lighter by time we collected it in London. When we were collecting our bags from the airport, we immediately realised the Zip was open and there was a huge space showing either dirty clothes had been stolen as we did not have any valuables. Our suitcase weighed 21.9kg when we weighed it at home and it was 22kg when weighed at the check in counter in Nairobi during our return journey. After noticing the zip had been opened, we immediately spoke with Customer service at the London airport who asked us to put any claim online. We didn't know what was missing but we weighed our bag and it was 19.1kg and not 22kgs as it was when we checked it in. So we know about 3kg worth of dirty items were taken but we can't tell exactly what they took. So by process of elimination, we know locks and padlocks are being broken in Nairobi by the bag handlers. Whoever manages these staff handling bags at Jomo kenyatta international airport Nairobi; you and your staff are giving Kenya a bad name breaking people's bags which is a violation of their privacy. The last time I was in Kenya, I had my sunlight bar soaps stolen from one of the bags and I think it is time to bring this to the attention of whoever manages these people. Stealing dirty clothes! Most people carry valuables in hand luggage so stop with the embarrassment. Going forward, I will never take check in luggage to Kenya. Everyone travelling there, double lock your bags with as many locks as you can, or just have hand luggage as this problem appear well entrenched in Nairobi. I cannot see it going away unless they have CCTV cameras to deter these thieves masquerading as paid staff. Brighter side, the staff at the first check as you arrive at the airport as well as those at the main entrance are brilliant. Appear very cheerful and give guidance so I will be rating 2 just for those staff. Also staff at the passport control and those checking and providing boarding passes are brilliant. After that, everything is down hill and gets worse !
Experience At AirportArrival and Departure
Date VisitApril 2022
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages N/A
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"No social distancing whatsoever!"

(Switzerland)

Not Verified | Worst airport I have ever seen, in all my travels: boarding started way too late, for all documents (incl. COVID) to be checked. Same documents have been checked at 3 queues, till boarding. No priority boarding for business. No social distancing whatsoever! The plane is a Covid timebomb, sadly. No seating available at check-in area. No one to ask anything at the multiple airport queues I had to endure. My plan was to come back to Kenya, but to pass this airport again, that would be an ordeal. Better to visit other African countries, maybe they work better than Kenya which is a mess.
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitNovember 2021
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"This airport is horrible"

(South Africa)

Not Verified | This airport is horrible. The staff are unfriendly and rude, and also corrupt looking for every chance they can get to take money away from you. I had a flight which allowed 2 x 23 kg bags per person, I had one bag of 25 kgs and my partner had one bag of 11kgs. The staff refused to give me my ticket until I paid 50 USD for the 2 extra kilos. I had exactly the same weight coming from Cape Town and this wasn’t a problem. The guard at one of the scanning stations also tried to ask for a bribe because we had beer in our luggage (which we checked and double checked beforehand that it was indeed allowed). I’m so disgusted by this place and the staff here. Kenya really needs the tourism industry yet doesn’t care at all about the tourists. I will not be visiting again and will encourage anyone else thinking of coming here to steer clear and rather support any other African country more worth while
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitAugust 2021
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1 to 10 of 85 Reviews