Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta Intl. Airport - Spotting Guide

Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta Intl. Airport – Spotting Guide

June 14, 2023 - last modified on July 17, 2023

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport serves the capital of Kenya, Nairobi. It is the major hub for the country’s biggest carrier, Kenya Airways. Furthermore many regional airlines and carriers from other African countries can be spotted. Cargo and military movements aren’t uncommon here.

General Information
Terminal	There are two terminals. Terminal 1 handles almost all flights, international and domestic. Terminal 2 handles some traffic of LCC carriers.
Runway	The airport has one runway 06/24
Security	We highly recommend NOT to spot around the airport’s boundaries! Military and government traffic is active here and sooner or later you will get caught by police. Spotting from inside Terminal 1 is okay but even there you might be asked to stop.

	Inside Terminal 1
WHERE	In the case that you have a long layover here you can spot easily from inside the gate area of Terminal 1, after security checks. So a valid boarding pass is needed to get to the departure gates.

WHAT	The big advantage of the terminal is the round construction. You can easily move around and check the various gates for different views of the apron. Views of the taxiway and runway are granted too but it gets hazy pretty quickly due to the distance.

TIME	Usually you can spend the whole day here. Just move around the gates to take advantage of the sun position.

MISC.	Be aware that you have to shoot through the windows. Security may ask you to stop but that’s all.

FOCAL LENGTH	Approximate 100-200mm from the gates.