Kenya Airways Launches Nairobi–London Gatwick Flights

Kenya Airways will begin nonstop flights from Nairobi to London-Gatwick (LGW) starting July 2, 2025, marking its second UK gateway after London-Heathrow. The new route will operate three times weekly—on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays—using Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, each seating 234 passengers across two cabins. The 4,218-mile journey is expected to take eight hours and 30 minutes.

While the existing daily Nairobi–Heathrow service caters to global connections, the new Gatwick route is aimed at growing point-to-point demand, particularly leisure travel between the UK and Kenya. This expansion reflects Kenya Airways’ broader strategy to increase summer 2025 transcontinental capacity amid growing UK-African travel interest.

Kenya Airways’ move comes amid intensifying competition. British Airways is upgrading its Nairobi service from five weekly flights to daily by June 7, with further increases to 10 and then 11 flights weekly in July. BA also upgauged the route to Airbus A350-1000s, offering up to 62% more seats per flight compared to the Boeing 787-8.

Uganda Airlines has also entered the UK market, launching direct Entebbe–Gatwick flights on May 18, 2025. Originally targeting Heathrow, the Ugandan carrier chose Gatwick due to slot constraints and cost factors, placing it in direct competition with Kenya Airways’ new service.

Increased UK-Africa connectivity is driving fares down across the board, as carriers with stopovers in cities like Doha, Istanbul, and Addis Ababa compete aggressively. Travelers benefit from more options and better prices on routes connecting the UK to East Africa.

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