JKIA or Wilson Airport? Which Nairobi Airport Do You Need?
Nairobi has two passenger airports twenty kilometres apart. Turning up at the wrong one is a very expensive mistake. Here is how to tell them apart.
Every week somebody arrives at JKIA for a flight out of Wilson, or the reverse. Understand the difference once and you will never make the mistake.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)
JKIA is the international gateway. Terminal 1A handles most international carriers, Terminal 1E handles some regional services and Terminal 2 handles many low cost and regional flights.
If you are flying to or from Europe, the Middle East, Asia or the wider African continent, you are almost certainly using JKIA. It sits on the eastern edge of the city, about twenty kilometres from the CBD and roughly forty five to ninety minutes depending on traffic.
Wilson Airport (WIL)
Wilson is a small airfield in the south of Nairobi, six kilometres from the city centre, and it exists almost entirely for domestic and charter aviation.
Flights from Wilson serve the Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Lamu, Diani, Nanyuki, Samburu and virtually every safari airstrip in the country. If your itinerary includes a light aircraft hop to a lodge, that plane leaves from Wilson. Flights to Mombasa and Kisumu on larger equipment usually depart from JKIA instead.
The practical differences
- Wilson is small. Arrive sixty to ninety minutes before departure, not three hours.
- Baggage on light aircraft is strictly limited - normally fifteen kilograms in a soft bag. Hard suitcases physically will not fit in the baggage pods.
- Wilson has limited parking and a single main terminal. JKIA has multiple terminals and much longer queues.
- Both have M-Pesa and card facilities, but Wilson has fewer food options.
Transfers between the two
A same day connection between JKIA and Wilson is common and entirely manageable. Allow a minimum of three hours between an international arrival and a domestic departure - more if you land in the evening rush. We handle this transfer constantly and will build the timing into your itinerary.
If you are unsure which airport your ticket uses, send us the flight number. We will tell you in seconds.