Emirates brings the A350 and Premium Economy to Nairobi

Emirates will fly its Airbus A350 to Nairobi from October 25, 2026. The jet takes over flights EK717 and EK718 between Dubai and Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The big change for travelers is a new cabin. For the first time, Emirates will sell Premium Economy on flights to and from Kenya.

Nairobi becomes the 32nd city on the airline's A350 network, according to the airline's announcement of September 24. The A350 is Emirates' newest aircraft type. It seats 298 people in three cabins: Business, Premium Economy and Economy. Emirates did not give a seat count for each cabin, or the departure and arrival times.

"The arrival of the A350 in Nairobi marks an exciting new chapter for Emirates in Kenya," said Christophe Leloup, the airline's Country Manager in Kenya.

What you get in each cabin

Business Class. Seats are laid out 1-2-1, so every seat has its own path to the aisle. They turn into fully flat beds and are covered in cream leather. Each seat has a personal minibar and a wireless charging pad. There is a snack area at the back of the cabin where you can help yourself.

Premium Economy. This is the new option for Kenya. Emirates says the leather seats recline further and give more legroom than Economy. Headrests adjust, and each seat has a power point and a small wood-finish side table. The screen is 13.3 inches. You get a large pillow and blanket. Emirates says amenity kits are free on select flights, and Dubai–Nairobi is one of them. The airline also pours Chandon Vintage Brut 2017 sparkling wine in this cabin, and serves a fuller meal than in Economy. The airline did not give seat pitch or width.

Economy. The A350's Economy cabin has a new look in sky blue, bronze and cream, with lighter wood trim. Each seat has a 13.3-inch 4K touchscreen for the ice entertainment system, and leather headrests. Emirates did not give a pitch figure here either.

The release says nothing about Wi-Fi. Emirates has been fitting Starlink to its fleet, as we covered in our story on the latest ice update. But the airline has not said whether the A350s on the Nairobi route will have it, so don't plan on it.

Lounges in Dubai and Nairobi

Most Nairobi passengers on these flights will connect in Dubai, and that is where the lounges are. Emirates runs large Business Class lounges in each concourse of Terminal 3: Concourse A, Concourse B and Concourse C. Each has a full bar and showers. A Business Class ticket gets you in. First Class lounges in Concourse A and Concourse B are mainly for First Class passengers, and the A350 has no First Class cabin.

Premium Economy is where travelers should check before they fly. The release does not say that a Premium Economy ticket includes lounge access in Dubai or Nairobi. Unless you have elite status or another way in, assume you will wait at the gate.

In Nairobi, Lounge Frog does not yet list any lounges at Jomo Kenyatta International. The release does not mention a lounge there either, so we can't tell you where Emirates Business Class passengers will wait before departure. If you have used a lounge at NBO, we would like to hear about it.

Booking, schedule and flexible tickets

Emirates already flies three times a day between Dubai and Nairobi. It added the third daily flight in July, for 21 flights a week. The release names only EK717 and EK718 for the A350, so the other two daily flights are not part of this change. Check the aircraft type when you book if you want the new cabin.

Tickets are on sale on emirates.com, in the Emirates app, through travel agents and at the Emirates World store in Nairobi. That store opened in 2024 and was the first Emirates World store in Africa.

Tickets bought after August 10, 2026, come with looser rules. You get unlimited free date changes on travel to Dubai and one free date change to any other city. Refund fees are lower across all cabins and fare types, the airline says, though it did not give amounts. Emirates has also teamed up with Cellulant, a payments company, so Kenyan travelers can split the cost of a fare across several payment methods within 24 hours.

Where the A350 fits

The A350 is a smaller, newer jet than the A380 and Boeing 777 that make up most of Emirates' fleet. The airline has been using it to bring Premium Economy to more cities. It started A350 flights to Helsinki this month and plans to fly it to Orlando from November 1. For travelers from Kenya, the Dubai connection opens up routes to Europe and the US, and now with a middle cabin between Economy and Business on one of the three daily flights.