Nairobi Airport (NBO)
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) has terminals 1A to 1E and Terminal 2, and the one you need depends on your airline and on whether you arrive or depart. Kenya Airways uses 1A for international flights and 1D for domestic ones. Use a licensed taxi, and ignore anyone who offers you a ride inside the terminal.
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Updated 21 October 2026
The terminals at Nairobi Airport
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport has passenger terminals 1A to 1E and Terminal 2. Your terminal depends on your airline and on whether you are departing or arriving:
- Kenya Airways uses 1A for its international flights and 1D for its domestic ones, and Jambojet uses 1D.
- Most of the international airlines use 1B or 1C for departures, and arrive in 1E.
- Terminal 2 takes the low-cost and some of the regional services.
The airport's own page warns that terminals can change, so check the table, then confirm on your ticket or with your airline before you travel.
Getting to and from Nairobi Airport
The Kenya Airports Authority licenses taxi and transfer companies to work at its airports. They wait at the designated taxi ranks, and several have desks in the domestic and the international arrivals halls. Some licensed taxis are painted yellow, but not all of them.
Ride-hailing services such as Uber and Bolt also serve the main airports, and international and local car hire companies work in Nairobi. Many hotels also offer transfers for their guests.
What happens when you arrive at NBO
Keep your passport and any form you filled in on the plane with you the whole way, from the aircraft door to the exit.
The domestic arrivals at this airport use 1D, and Terminal 2 takes some of the regional services. The authority publishes the arrival sequence, so you can read it before you fly.
Nairobi Airport with children
The airport's own pages have a section on children and pets, on special assistance and on the security and the luggage rules, so you can read what the airport offers before you land.
If you have a transfer booked in advance, your driver will wait outside the arrivals hall, because drivers are not allowed inside. Agree the fare before you set off: the fares are per vehicle and not per person, and ask for a receipt.
Plan your stop at Nairobi Airport
The authority's own safety advice is to use an official taxi or a transfer you have booked in advance, and to ignore the offers of transport from people inside the terminal: soliciting passengers is illegal, and those drivers are often unlicensed and uninsured. And check with the embassy or consulate about the documents your family needs for the entry rules of every country on your route.
Sources
- Official page of the Kenya Airports Authority on the airlines and the terminals, with the table of every airline and the terminal it uses for departures and for arrivals. — kaa.go.ke (checked 21 October 2026)
- Official page of the Kenya Airports Authority on getting to and from the airport: the licensed taxis, the ride-hailing services, the car hire, the parking and the pick-up. — kaa.go.ke (checked 21 October 2026)
- Official page of the Kenya Airports Authority on arriving and connecting: the arrival sequence and the terminals used by the domestic arrivals. — kaa.go.ke (checked 21 October 2026)
Frequently asked questions
How many terminals does Nairobi Airport have?
Passenger terminals 1A to 1E and Terminal 2. Your terminal depends on your airline and on whether you are departing or arriving, and the airport says terminals can change, so confirm on your ticket.
Which terminal does Kenya Airways use at NBO?
Kenya Airways uses 1A for its international flights and 1D for its domestic ones. Jambojet uses 1D.
Which terminal serves the international arrivals at Nairobi Airport?
Most of the international airlines arrive in 1E, even when they depart from 1A, 1B or 1C. The domestic arrivals use 1D, and Terminal 2 takes some of the regional services.
How do I get from Nairobi Airport to the city?
The Kenya Airports Authority licenses the taxis and the transfers, and they wait at the designated taxi ranks, with desks in the arrivals halls. Ride-hailing services such as Uber and Bolt serve the airport too, and car hire companies work in Nairobi.
What should I do if someone offers me a ride inside Nairobi Airport?
Ignore them. The authority says to use an official taxi or a transfer you have booked in advance, because soliciting passengers is illegal and those drivers are often unlicensed and uninsured. If you have a transfer booked, your driver waits outside the arrivals hall.