Nairobi Airport

Just returned from a business trip and had the misfortune of having to pass through this airport. The security at the entrance nearly caused me to miss my flight to AMS and the priority entrance is frankly laughable. Once I managed to push my way through to the check-in desk the shambles continues with poor signs unhelpful staff and no shop to buy a bottle of water in the cattle market in sight. The only redeeming feature was the friendly immigration staff but once past this the gate is also a shambles. Avoid if you can but if that's not possible my advice would be to allow a minimum of 3 hours before your departure!

Flew domestic from Nairobi to Mombasa on September 2nd 2012. Both security checks and check-in went reasonably fast staff was not unfriendly airport was reasonably clean and screens with flight times were updated regularly. Clean toilets free wireless Internet (of fairly good speed) and some power sockets to charge your laptop or phone. Prices in restaurant were low but I suspect that's only because domestic flights are used mostly by Kenyans. No ceiling fans or fans in general and during the afternoon it got hotter and stuffier by the minute. All in all certainly not the worst place to spend 4.5 hours (3 hour delay).

Terrible airport. There are at least 3 terminals and you need to check the big signs outside the airport (upon approach) for your airline name to make sure you go to the right terminal. Feels like no changes have been made to the airport since it was built with no proper signage once inside the terminal. Luggage scanners are at the entrance to the terminal so you may have a problem if you just want to see off someone to actually get into the terminal. We were in unit (terminal) 1 - SAA to Johannesburg. Arrived 4 hours prior to flight departure. Check-in opened at 3 non-descript desks three hours prior to departure. There was a bag wrap service (thankfully) which you can haggle on in respect of the price. There were also some self-service check-in counters which some people used. There were not a lot of people in front of us in the queue yet it still took half an hour just to drop the bags (even though we checked in online there was no dedicated bag-drop desk). There isn't even a small kiosk where one can buy water / coffee (never mind a coffee shop) before going through passport control. One very friendly staff member at passport control however.

I'm recently back from a business trip to Kenya. This airport is poor. Arrival required trekking across the tarmac before entering a noisy hot and crowded 70s style concrete corridor where departing/arriving passengers are in the same place. Long immigration lines and grumpy staff. Make sure you know what you're doing when you exit baggage claim as the public area can be rather threatening. For departure expect queuing just to get inside immigration again very slow and miserable. This airport has few decent shops or facilities; the Java house coffee bar is OK otherwise it's mostly curios T-shirts and duty free alcohol. Toilets were clean but old and no TP! Overall it's very out-dated and overcrowded and makes a terrible first impression for Kenya.

Nairobi International airport really needs some improvement. It is clean friendly personnel. I forgot my wallet at the Immigration desk and an hour later it was waiting for me. Nice staff at customs. The stores look like a Neighbourhood shopping area. The government should be paying more attention this. This is the first impression of the country.

Landed safely and my bags were there. An airport is just a means for me to enter and exit a country. Got my visa easily staff at customs were friendly. I've flown into most of the superhubs in the USA Europe and Asia and this was just fine. We'll see how it is on the way out as I am still in Kenya.

This is an airport to avoid if possible. Supposedly an international one! We have just returned today after flying Nairobi - London. Talk about chaotic they don't know how to organize an orderly boarding of passengers and I suggest that they send one of the officials to London to see how it should be done! I felt as though we were herded like cattle and to add insult to injury we ended up going down scaffold type stairs outside to get to the tarmac and had to walk across (outside) wet puddle strewn ground to get to our aircraft a Boeing 777 and go up steps to get into it. We assumed something had broken down but no explanation or apology was given. The facilities at the airport are poor many many duty free alcohol and perfume and gift shops but no pharmacy or nice refreshment areas. Just one long corridor of the above with a few hard seats along the side.

Pretty basic and small for an international airport. We arrived around 16.30 after a safari for our BA flight that left around 23.40. There is security with a baggage x-ray as you enter the terminal so there are lines out on the sidewalk waiting to get in. No computers in the bush so we had get our boarding pass at the ticket counter. BA said the counter opens at 17.00 the counter people checking in another flight said 18.00 they finally opened around 18.30. From everything I've read about NBO we had previously decided to pay the $30 per person and go to the first class lounge near gate 6. Glad we did as all the limited seating near the gates is hard plastic and nothing was available after about 20.00. I've read where some people say to kill time by going to the Java Coffee House but there where no seats available when I was wandering around at about 2000. Lots of gift shops that all appeared to be selling pretty much the same things. The lounge has soft leather chairs TV WI-FI lots of different hard liquor beer and soft drinks. Also pre wrapped small sandwiches chips etc all self serve The $30 is for 3 hours but we were there around 4-4 1/2 hours and no one asked for more money. They take credit cards. If you're going to be at the airport more than a couple of hours I highly recommend the lounge.

Interior is more of a middle class shopping centre rather than an airport. Air coolers are not good toilets are okay but should be much cleaner. Airport security authority walk around and question passengers which is disturbing. Okay to stay for a short transit but if the layover time is high then the stay becomes boring as the facilities are poor.

It's not up to the standards of superhubs and could do with a new international terminal. Basically its straight out of the 1960s so not that well laid out. The two main problems are having to queue outside to get past the first security check and having to queue twice more for a long check-in and two more security scans at the gate. It really needs a layout change - so you can be scanned just once on entering the secure passenger only area. Duty free shops well they sell the same as elsewhere in the world just without hi power arc lighting and glossy shelves. I agree the main problem is the lack of seating and the fact it feels a bit cramped. I've always managed to get a seat and try to arrive not too early but with enough time to get through all the checks. Arriving - they need more immigration staff last two times I've come in has been a long wait of an hour getting off the plane to walking through to the meeting point.