Kenya Airways schedules special Dubai repatriation flights
By Kenneth Mwenda, March 4, 2026Kenya Airways has announced special repatriation flights between Nairobi and Dubai on March 4 and 5, 2026. The airline will run one flight from Nairobi to Dubai on March 4, 2026, and the return from Dubai to Nairobi on March 5, 2026.
These flights come after Dubai International Airport received limited slot approvals from its management on March 4, 2026. The national carrier stressed that these are not regular scheduled services.
UAE authorities allowed a small number of operations to resume at Dubai International Airport from March 2, 2026, but only for repatriation purposes. Kenya Airways said the flights help citizens or residents of the UAE travel out of Nairobi, and vice versa.
“These are not regular scheduled flights, rather repatriation flights. Customers who are citizens or have residency to be able to travel out of Nairobi and Vice Versa,” the airline stated.
It asked passengers in Dubai not to go to the airport until the airline confirms departure dates and times.
“We request our customers in Dubai not to proceed to DXB Airport until we have communicated a confirmed departure date,” the statement added.
Affected passengers should check their flight status on kenya-airways.com using the Manage Booking option and update their contact details. This ensures the airline can reach them directly with updates. The carrier apologised for the inconvenience and said the safety of crew and customers remains its top priority.
It will contact impacted passengers to offer help.
Operations to Dubai have not resumed
Kenya Airways noted that scheduled operations to Dubai have not resumed and would share more details and a confirmed schedule once the UAE authorities give further approvals. The situation stays fluid.
The announcement follows wider disruption in the Middle East. US and Israeli strikes on Iran started the escalation, and Iran fired missiles and drones in response.
Many countries closed airspace, and major hubs like Dubai shut down or limited flights. This stranded hundreds of thousands of travellers, including tourists, business people, and residents.
The US State Department urged Americans to leave the region right away via commercial means due to serious safety risks. It contacted nearly 3,000 US citizens abroad and helped more than 9,000 return home already.
France prepared to fly back citizens most at risk using commercial and military options. The UK asked British nationals in the region to register their presence for better support.
These repatriation efforts show how quickly air travel collapsed in the region. Kenya Airways joins other airlines in running limited flights to bring people home safely amid the ongoing conflict. Passengers should stick to official updates and avoid the airport without confirmation.