Kenya’s air passenger traffic hit a record 13.1 million passengers in the year to June 2026, rising from 12.95 million the previous year despite weaker international travel demand linked to disruptions in the Middle East.
The growth was largely driven by a strong increase in domestic travel, which offset slower international passenger numbers during the period.
Preliminary data from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) show that passenger traffic increased by one per cent during the year, with about 145,000 additional passengers passing through Kenyan airports compared with the previous year.
KAA Managing Director Moses Wekesa said disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict weighed on international passenger numbers, but this was offset by stronger domestic travel.
“Most of the growth was because of local travel. We saw a lot of growth in domestic air traffic, but we also felt the impact of the Middle East war in international traffic,” he said in an interview with the Daily Nation.
KAA did not provide a breakdown of domestic and international traffic for the latest period, but previous data shows that domestic travel has continued to account for a growing share of Kenya’s air transport market.
Domestic air travel accounted for about 41 per cent of total passenger traffic in the year to June 2025, with 5.32 million travellers.
Aircraft movement figures for the latest period are yet to be released, although the trend has been upward since 2021, reaching a post-pandemic high of 375,065 movements in the year to June 2025.
Kenya Airways was among the carriers that benefited from changes in international travel patterns after some Middle Eastern airlines suspended or disrupted flights during the escalation of conflict in the region.
In March, Kenya Airways reported increased demand on flights to key destinations in Europe, the United States and East Asia.
The airline said its average load factor — the proportion of available seats filled — increased from about 70 per cent to around 90 per cent.
Kenya Airways attributed the rise to passengers who had previously relied on major Middle Eastern carriers shifting to its network following flight disruptions. Nairobi also became a preferred transit point for some international travellers during the period.
Globally, however, some segments of the aviation industry recorded weaker passenger demand during the period. Higher jet fuel prices pushed up fares, while airlines were forced to reroute flights after disruptions to airspace in parts of the Middle East.
According to the latest figures from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), international passenger demand fell by 1.6 per cent globally in May, while airline capacity declined by 2.4 per cent.
Domestic passenger demand also declined by 3.1 per cent, with capacity falling by 2.1 per cent compared with the same period last year.
IATA said the declines followed similar trends recorded in March and April, while June figures were yet to be released.
– By Daniel Kamau
