NAIROBI, Kenya – Etihad Airways has announced a major expansion of its Kenyan operations, less than a year after launching direct flights between Nairobi and Abu Dhabi.
The Gulf carrier said it will increase frequencies on the Nairobi–Abu Dhabi route from the current four weekly services to eight by October, before moving to a double daily schedule — 14 flights a week — by December 15.
The upgrade will more than triple available seat capacity on the route, from 600 to over 2,200 per week.
Javier Alija, Etihad’s vice president of global sales and distribution, said the rapid expansion is a direct response to strong demand and balanced traffic flows between the two cities.
“We wouldn’t grow into Nairobi if it wasn’t for the strong performance of the way we are growing. We have never done something like this, to go from launch to double daily in a year — it’s remarkable,” said Alija.
Etihad executives said the decision reflects both rising travel demand between Kenya and the United Arab Emirates and confidence in the long-term growth of the Kenyan aviation market.
“When there is no healthy competition, people and businesses can become complacent, and we don’t ever want to do that. Beyond Borders is our company’s slogan; we can never stop innovating,” Alija added.
The expansion is part of Etihad’s broader African strategy, which includes opening new routes, boosting frequencies, and strengthening partnerships with regional carriers.
A surge in Gulf carriers’ investments in East Africa has intensified competition on long-haul routes, with Kenya Airways, Emirates, and Qatar Airways also vying for market share in the Nairobi–Middle East corridor.
