NAIROBI, Kenya — Navigating Kenya’s skies is becoming significantly more expensive this year as domestic airlines hike fares in response to a perfect storm of soaring passenger demand and a crippling shortage of operational aircraft.
Travelers booking off-peak flights on major corridors like Nairobi–Mombasa and Nairobi–Kisumu are now facing price jumps of up to Sh2,000 for one-way tickets. The increases come as a surprise to many, especially following a year where aviation experts predicted a “market repair” after years of post-pandemic recovery.
The Fare Hike Breakdown
The Nairobi–Mombasa route, a vital artery for both business and tourism, has recorded the steepest incline. Average fares have climbed from Sh8,133 to over Sh10,800, a Sh2,678 increase. Meanwhile, the Nairobi–Kisumu route has seen a jump to nearly Sh8,000, with budget carrier Jambojet—which controls over half the domestic market—setting its minimum floor at Sh8,300 for the lakeside city.
Projected One-Way Fare Increases (Average):
- Nairobi to Mombasa: +Sh2,678
- Nairobi to Kisumu: +Sh2,231
- Nairobi to Eldoret: +Sh400
Why Prices are Taking Off
The price surge is driven by three primary factors that have left airlines with little room to maneuver:
- Surging Demand: More Kenyans are opting for air travel over road transport due to increased economic activity and government spending. “Load factors” (the percentage of seats filled) for airlines like Jambojet have remained consistently above 80%.
- Aircraft Shortage: A global scarcity of spare parts has left at least 17 Kenyan-registered aircraft grounded. Carriers including Kenya Airways, Renegade Air, and Skyward are struggling to maintain flight frequencies, leading to higher leasing costs for replacement planes.
- Increased Levies: In late 2025, President William Ruto signed the Air Passenger Service Charge (Amendment) Bill, which raised domestic departure taxes by 20% (from Sh500 to Sh600) to fund aviation infrastructure and tourism marketing.
The Capacity Constraint
Industry insiders warn that even if demand remains high, the inability to get planes back into the air is the real bottleneck. As of the close of 2025, tracking data indicated that nearly half of the country’s domestic fleet faced some form of maintenance delay.
“Demand has naturally gone up, and the only way to manage that with fewer planes is to raise prices,” a senior airline executive noted. “People have more money to spend on flights, but we have fewer seats to offer.”
What This Means for 2026 Travelers
For the average traveler, the era of the “cheap last-minute flight” appears to be over. Experts suggest that as long as the global parts crisis persists, fares will remain elevated. Passengers are advised to book at least three weeks in advance and look for mid-week flights to avoid the premium weekend surcharges.
