NBO · Nairobi, Kenya
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
--:--:-- · EAT (UTC+03:00) · 1.3189° S, 36.9282° E
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
International airport in Nairobi, Kenya
Verification trail
Source-backed facts for NBO
This section separates stable airport identifiers from live operating data. Codes, coordinates, timezone, elevation, source identifiers, and accepted reference links are retained here; live arrivals, departures, gates, delays, NOTAMs, and airline schedule changes must still be checked with the airport or carrier.
Airport catalog
OurAirports ID 3206; ident HKJK; scheduled service listed.
Cached airports.csv snapshot: 2026-04-25; runways.csv snapshot: 2026-05-21.
Official airport source
kenyaairports.com
Used as the preferred live-reference handoff for terminals, gates, alerts, and airport notices.
Open sourceReference summary
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Airport-shaped reference summary from en.wikipedia.org; summary snapshot 2026-05-20.
Open sourceManual / derived signals
21 source-backed signals
Merged from OurAirports cached airports.csv, OurAirports cached runways.csv, Wikidata airport entity snapshot, airport-shaped Wikipedia summary snapshot; facts generated 2026-05-21.
IATA / ICAO
NBO / HKJK
OurAirports ident
HKJK
GPS / local code
HKJK
ISO region
KE-47
Scheduled service
Listed in source snapshot
Role
major international passenger gateway
Official host
kenyaairports.com
Reference host
en.wikipedia.org
Wikidata entity
Q206349
Snapshot generated
2026-05-21
Airport lookup keys
Stable codes
Regional keys
Alternate names
Nearby airport codes
Route reference codes
Accepted citation URLs
Last updated May 21, 2026. Stable airport identifiers and timezone facts are content-reviewed; clocks render live in the browser, while weather and time-difference notes are page-snapshot aids rather than permanent airport records.
Live values rendered at Nov 5, 8:21 PM UTC.
What you need to know now
Local airport time
--:--:--EAT · UTC+03:00
Time zone
EAT
Africa/Nairobi · UTC+03:00
Airfield conditions
Live airport weather is temporarily unavailable.
Surface access
13 km
Approximate distance to central Nairobi.
Airport Snapshot
Country capital
Nairobi
Languages
English, Swahili
Currency
KES (Sh)
Country area
580,367 km²
Passenger volume
9 million passengers
Terminals
Not clearly stated
Runways
1 runway
Longest runway
13,507 ft / 4,117 m
Runway surface
asphalt
Opened / operator
1958 · Kenya Airports Authority
Owner / entity
Q206349
Hub airlines
Mixed or not clearly stated
Airport role
major international passenger gateway
Scheduled service
Listed
Fact coverage
21 source-backed signals
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is a major international passenger gateway for Nairobi, Kenya. Nairobi's built-up core sits roughly 13 km from the terminal area. Operations run on Africa/Nairobi (UTC+03:00, EAT). Live weather is temporarily unavailable. With 3 other indexable airports in its surrounding network, it works well as a reference point for regional flight planning and timezone checks.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO / HKJK) is at 1.3189° S, 36.9282° E, elevation 5,330 ft (1,625 m), serving Nairobi, Kenya.
The accepted reference summary is used as supporting context for the airport identity and operating notes; the timed facts here still come from the airport catalog, timezone database, country snapshot, and linked source trail.
Nairobi is in Kenya (capital Nairobi); on Africa/Nairobi (EAT, UTC+03:00); working languages: English, Swahili; currency: KES (Sh).
Distance from central Nairobi: 13 km.
Airport context brief
A compact traveler-facing brief from the airport catalog, country snapshot, route geometry, city anchors, peer airports, and source trail for NBO.
Name and identity cues
Primary airport name
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO / HKJK)
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport · International airport in Nairobi, Kenya
Known label 1
Jkia Airport
Alternate airport-name cue retained for NBO, not a separate indexable duplicate page.
Known label 2
Embakasi Airport
Alternate airport-name cue retained for NBO, not a separate indexable duplicate page.
Known label 3
Nairobi International Airport
Alternate airport-name cue retained for NBO, not a separate indexable duplicate page.
Source identifiers
HKJK · HKJK · KE-47
kenyaairports.com · en.wikipedia.org · scheduled service yes
Source-specific airport notes
Regional role cue
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is an international airport serving Nairobi, the capital and largest city of Kenya.
Accepted from the airport reference trail as a role-specific cue for NBO; not treated as a live service guarantee.
Location cue
It is located in the Embakasi suburb, appoximately 18 kilometres (11 mi) southeast of Nairobi city centre.
Used to make the airport page location-specific beyond the code, coordinate, and timezone record.
Closest mapped city anchors
1. Imara Daima Estate
imara-daima-estate · 5.4 km from NBO
Kenya · Africa/Nairobi · +0h · population 52,837 · city coordinates -1.3232, 36.8802
2. Githunguri
githunguri-12718630 · 7.2 km from NBO
Kenya · Africa/Nairobi · +0h · population 63,319 · city coordinates -1.3000, 36.9905
3. Mlolongo
mlolongo · 8.7 km from NBO
Kenya · Africa/Nairobi · +0h · population 136,351 · city coordinates -1.3964, 36.9403
4. Pumwani
pumwani · 9.8 km from NBO
Kenya · Africa/Nairobi · +0h · population 29,616 · city coordinates -1.2832, 36.8473
5. Nairobi
nairobi · 13 km from NBO
Kenya · Africa/Nairobi · +0h · population 4,397,073 · city coordinates -1.2833, 36.8167
6. Athi River
athi-river · 16 km from NBO
Kenya · Africa/Nairobi · +0h · population 81,302 · city coordinates -1.4563, 36.9783
Airport alternatives in the retained graph
1. EDL HKEL
Eldoret International Airport · Eldoret
268 km from NBO · Africa/Nairobi · +0h · elevation 6,941 ft (2,116 m) · airport coordinates 0.4045, 35.2389
2. KIS HKKI
Kisumu International Airport · Kisumu
280 km from NBO · Africa/Nairobi · +0h · elevation 3,734 ft (1,138 m) · airport coordinates -0.0861, 34.7289
3. MBA HKMO
Moi International Airport · Mombasa
423 km from NBO · Africa/Nairobi · +0h · elevation 200 ft (61 m) · airport coordinates -4.0348, 39.5942
Route-time reference set
1. NBO-EDL
Eldoret · 268 km · 1h 10m
Africa/Nairobi · +0h from NBO; reference route only, not a live schedule.
2. NBO-KIS
Kisumu · 280 km · 1h 11m
Africa/Nairobi · +0h from NBO; reference route only, not a live schedule.
3. NBO-MBA
Mombasa · 423 km · 1h 22m
Africa/Nairobi · +0h from NBO; reference route only, not a live schedule.
Runway source evidence
Published runway count
1 runway
Longest runway 13,507 ft / 4,117 m. 1 lighted runway in the runway snapshot.
Runway surface mix
asphalt
Surface labels are normalized from the OurAirports runway rows for NBO.
Runway identifiers
06/24
Identifier pairs are retained as airport-specific runway cues, not live operational availability claims.
Same-country airport context
1. EDL HKEL
Eldoret International Airport · Eldoret · 268 km from NBO
large airport · Africa/Nairobi · kenya · 6,941 ft (2,116 m) · 0.4045, 35.2389
2. KIS HKKI
Kisumu International Airport · Kisumu · 280 km from NBO
large airport · Africa/Nairobi · kenya · 3,734 ft (1,138 m) · -0.0861, 34.7289
3. MBA HKMO
Moi International Airport · Mombasa · 423 km from NBO
large airport · Africa/Nairobi · kenya · 200 ft (61 m) · -4.0348, 39.5942
Accepted operational notes
Source note 1
The airport served over 9 million passengers and over 364,000 tonnes of cargo in 2024, making it the sixth busiest airport in passenger traffic in Africa.
Retained as a source-backed local role note for NBO.
Source note 2
It is the busiest out of the four international airports in Kenya, the other three international airports being Kisumu International Airport, Eldoret International Airport and Moi International Airport in Mombasa.
Retained as a source-backed local role note for NBO.
Country and authority
NBO sits in Kenya (Republic of Kenya), whose capital is Nairobi. No specific civil-aviation authority label is attached in the current map, so this page avoids inventing one. Country context: Africa, Eastern Africa.
Traveler context
Common country-language signals: English, Swahili. Currency context: KES (Sh). NBO is listed with scheduled service in the airport source snapshot.
Names and local labels
NBO is also associated in the airport facts snapshot with Jkia Airport, Embakasi Airport, Nairobi International Airport. These labels help catch alternate airport names without creating separate duplicate airport pages.
Reference description
International airport in Nairobi, Kenya. This description is used only as identity context; live flight status, terminal assignment, and airport alerts still belong to the official airport or airline source.
Source-specific cues
Regional role cue: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is an international airport serving Nairobi, the capital and largest city of Kenya. Location cue: It is located in the Embakasi suburb, appoximately 18 kilometres (11 mi) southeast of Nairobi city centre.
Entity fingerprint
Wikidata airport entity: Q206349 · Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Administrative area: Nairobi · Nairobi City County. Named after: Jomo Kenyatta. Entity official-site cross-check: kenyaairports.co.ke
Field and clock profile
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is a high-elevation field at 5,330 ft (1,625 m), positioned at 1.3189° S, 36.9282° E in the Equatorial deep tropics. The runway snapshot lists 1 runway and a longest runway of 13,507 ft / 4,117 m. The airport clock uses Africa/Nairobi (EAT, UTC+03:00), so cross-date arrivals should be checked against this zone rather than the airline origin city.
City and airport alternatives
Imara Daima Estate is the closest retained city-time anchor at 5.4 km. EDL Eldoret is the closest retained airport alternative at 268 km.
Country airport peers
NBO is compared with EDL Eldoret at 268 km, KIS Kisumu at 280 km, MBA Mombasa at 423 km inside the retained Kenya airport set, which is useful when backup airports share the same country context but differ by city, route network, and clock behavior.
Route geometry
NBO-EDL Eldoret: 268 km, about 1h 10m, +0h. NBO-KIS Kisumu: 280 km, about 1h 11m, +0h. NBO-MBA Mombasa: 423 km, about 1h 22m, +0h. These are distance and timezone references, not live flight availability claims.
Source trail
OurAirports ident HKJK backs the stable code, coordinate, elevation, and timezone record. kenyaairports.com is attached as the official airport website. en.wikipedia.org is used only as supporting reference context. Snapshot date: 2026-05-21.
Operational Profile
Traffic profile
9 million passengers
Airline role
Mixed commercial service
Terminal footprint
See operational notes
Runway footprint
1 runway · longest 13,507 ft / 4,117 m
Runway identifiers
06/24
OurAirports classifies NBO as a large airport with scheduled service; the airport name and codes identify it as an international gateway for Nairobi.
NBO (HKJK) is one of the curated airport pages with a real traffic signal attached: 9 million passengers, operating from a high-elevation field at 5,330 ft (1,625 m).
NBO sits in a broader regional network with 3 nearby curated alternatives, so airline choice and connection strategy are part of the planning story here.
NBO's runway record lists 1 runway, with the longest runway at 13,507 ft / 4,117 m and source surfaces recorded as asphalt.
Kenya Airports Authority is the clearest operator or management signal we currently have on file for NBO.
- The airport served over 9 million passengers and over 364,000 tonnes of cargo in 2024, making it the sixth busiest airport in passenger traffic in Africa.
- It is the busiest out of the four international airports in Kenya, the other three international airports being Kisumu International Airport, Eldoret International Airport and Moi International Airport in Mombasa.
These operational notes prefer the structured airport facts snapshot, then fall back to the accepted airport reference at kenyaairports.com, then blend that with local timezone, route, and city-access data already on this page.
Decision matrix for NBO
These are the specific situations where this airport page earns its keep: time-zone conversion, city transfer planning, nearby airport backup logic, and source-confidence checks before acting.
When the clock matters
NBO uses Africa/Nairobi (EAT, UTC+03:00). Use this before overnight arrivals, cross-date departures, and same-day connections.
When surface access matters
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is about 13 km from central Nairobi; build that transfer into arrival and check-in planning.
When alternates matter
EDL Eldoret is the closest retained alternate at 268 km, time difference +0h.
When source checks matter
kenyaairports.com is listed as the official airport website in the airport facts snapshot; live schedules, gates, routes, terminals, and NOTAM-sensitive operations still need official airport or airline verification.
How this airport compares nearby
These comparisons place NBO inside the retained airport graph by country, timezone, elevation, and coordinate neighbors. They are deterministic dataset facts, not generated flight claims.
Country-rank position
NBO ranks #4 in the curated Kenya airport set when large airports are listed before medium airports, then sorted by IATA code. The retained country set has 4 airports.
Same-zone airport cohort
NBO shares Africa/Nairobi with EDL Eldoret KE · KIS Kisumu KE · MBA Mombasa KE. This helps separate same-clock airports by city, country, code, and geography.
Elevation-neighbor cohort
NBO is 5,330 ft (1,625 m). Closest elevation peers in the retained airport set include ABQ 5,355 ft (1,632 m) (25 ft delta) · DEN 5,431 ft (1,655 m) (101 ft delta) · JNB 5,558 ft (1,694 m) (228 ft delta) · IFN 5,059 ft (1,542 m) (271 ft delta) · GDL 5,016 ft (1,529 m) (314 ft delta).
Coordinate-neighbor check
NBO's nearest retained coordinate neighbors are EDL 268 km +0h · KIS 280 km +0h · MBA 423 km +0h.
Flight Path Arc
Great-circle route between airports with animated plane. Pick a route.
Arriving From / Departing To
| Destination | Route code | Distance | Estimated window | Time difference | Destination clock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eldoret | EDL | 268 km | 1h 10m | +0h | --:--:-- |
| Kisumu | KIS | 280 km | 1h 11m | +0h | --:--:-- |
| Mombasa | MBA | 423 km | 1h 22m | +0h | --:--:-- |
NBO to EDL
Eldoret
Distance 268 km; estimated travel window 1h 10m; destination zone Africa/Nairobi is +0h from NBO. Use the live destination clock on this page as a cross-timezone planning cue, not as a live flight schedule.
NBO to KIS
Kisumu
Distance 280 km; estimated travel window 1h 11m; destination zone Africa/Nairobi is +0h from NBO. Use the live destination clock on this page as a cross-timezone planning cue, not as a live flight schedule.
NBO to MBA
Mombasa
Distance 423 km; estimated travel window 1h 22m; destination zone Africa/Nairobi is +0h from NBO. Use the live destination clock on this page as a cross-timezone planning cue, not as a live flight schedule.
Airport Details
Timezone
Ground Transport and Nearby Context
The airport sits in the normal outer-ring range for a major metro gateway, so rail, shuttle coach, and ride-hail all matter when you judge the fastest arrival.
Nairobi is the nearest mapped city anchor in the current dataset, which makes it the cleanest companion page when travelers want to switch from airport timing into local city timing.
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport has 3 nearby indexed airport alternatives, which makes backup departures and diversion logic part of real planning instead of a theoretical edge case.
Nearby city time anchors
Airport pages are most useful when they bridge into real city clocks. These city anchors are ranked by distance from NBO, then shown with their own timezone, local time, and time difference from the airport clock.
Imara Daima Estate
imara-daima-estate · 5.4 km · Africa/Nairobi
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Githunguri
githunguri-12718630 · 7.2 km · Africa/Nairobi
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Mlolongo
mlolongo · 8.7 km · Africa/Nairobi
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Pumwani
pumwani · 9.8 km · Africa/Nairobi
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Nairobi
nairobi · 13 km · Africa/Nairobi
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Athi River
athi-river · 16 km · Africa/Nairobi
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Kitengela
kitengela · 18 km · Africa/Nairobi
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Kiambu
kiambu · 19 km · Africa/Nairobi
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Ruiru
ruiru · 19 km · Africa/Nairobi
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Ongata Rongai
ongata-rongai · 20 km · Africa/Nairobi
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Lang'ata
lang-ata · 22 km · Africa/Nairobi
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Karuri
karuri · 25 km · Africa/Nairobi
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Diff
- +0h
Airlines and Network Role
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport does not have a long carrier list in the current source trail, so this page emphasizes the durable pieces travelers can safely use here: local time, field identifiers, nearby airports, and timezone differences.
The route timing references show the first cross-timezone planning burden after this airport: Eldoret (EDL), Kisumu (KIS), Mombasa (MBA). Treat them as distance and clock cues, then verify flight availability with the carrier.
Planning checkpoints
- Traffic signal: 9 million passengers.
- Terminal footprint: not clearly stated in the source trail.
- Runway footprint: 1 runway; longest runway 13,507 ft / 4,117 m; identifiers 06/24.
- Runway surfaces: asphalt; 1 lighted runway in the source snapshot.
- Operator / management: Kenya Airports Authority.
- Opened / inaugurated: 1958.
- Network role: mixed or not clearly stated in the source trail.
Nearby Airports
Nearby airports are ranked by coordinate distance from NBO. The time difference column is computed from IANA zones against the page snapshot, while the local clocks update in the browser.
Eldoret International AirportEDL
Eldoret · large airport
- Distance
- 268 km
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Time diff
- +0h
- Elevation
- 6,941 ft (2,116 m)
Compare against EDL when route choice, backup departures, or arrival-side local time matters.
Kisumu International AirportKIS
Kisumu · large airport
- Distance
- 280 km
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Time diff
- +0h
- Elevation
- 3,734 ft (1,138 m)
Compare against KIS when route choice, backup departures, or arrival-side local time matters.
Moi International AirportMBA
Mombasa · large airport
- Distance
- 423 km
- Local time
- --:--:--
- Time diff
- +0h
- Elevation
- 200 ft (61 m)
Compare against MBA when route choice, backup departures, or arrival-side local time matters.
Companion Planning Tools
Questions
FAQ
What timezone is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) in?▾
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is in the Africa/Nairobi timezone (UTC+03:00, EAT).
What are the codes for Jomo Kenyatta International Airport?▾
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport uses IATA code NBO and ICAO code HKJK.
Where is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport located?▾
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is located in Nairobi, Kenya at coordinates 1.3189° S, 36.9282° E, with an elevation of 5,330 ft (1,625 m) (high-elevation field in the deep tropics).
How far is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport from central Nairobi?▾
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport sits roughly 13 km from the nearest mapped city center for Nairobi.
Which route reference is most useful from NBO?▾
Eldoret (EDL) is one of the closest route references on this page, with an estimated travel window of 1h 10m, destination timezone Africa/Nairobi, and a +0h difference from NBO.
What other airports in Kenya are close peers to NBO?▾
NBO's curated peers in Kenya on this site include EDL Eldoret, KIS Kisumu, MBA Mombasa.
How many runways does Jomo Kenyatta International Airport have?▾
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport's source-backed operational summary lists 1 runway, with the longest runway recorded at 13,507 ft / 4,117 m; identifiers include 06/24.