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Jambojet resumes daily Nairobi–Entebbe flights, fares from about US$170

On 1 October 2026, Kenya Airways subsidiary Jambojet flew its first Nairobi–Entebbe service since the route was suspended, resuming daily flights; outlets differ on whether the break lasted six or seven years.

File photo: a Jambojet aircraft (registration 5Y-JXE) at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, in August 2025. It is not the relaunch flight to Entebbe.
File photo: a Jambojet aircraft (registration 5Y-JXE) at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, in August 2025. It is not the relaunch flight to Entebbe. Photo: Z thomas / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Jambojet, the low-cost subsidiary of Kenya Airways, flew the first service on its relaunched Nairobi–Entebbe route on Thursday 1 October 2026, resuming daily flights between Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and Entebbe International Airport in Uganda.

Fares start at KSh 22,950, or about US$170, one way, according to Citizen Digital, which puts the flight time at 65 minutes. The Star and Biznakenya reported the same starting fare when the relaunch was announced in August. It is a "from" price, not a guaranteed price on every flight.

The route will operate daily at first, and Jambojet plans to add frequencies as demand develops. According to the aviation news site AeroRoutes, flight JM8522 leaves Nairobi at 11:30 and arrives in Entebbe at 13:00, and the return flight, JM8523, leaves Entebbe at 13:40 and arrives in Nairobi at 15:10, both on Dash 8-Q400 aircraft.

Citizen Digital says Jambojet launched the route in 2018 and operated it for nearly two years; Capital FM says the airline suspended it in 2019 after about two years. Outlets disagree on how long the gap has been. Capital FM calls it a seven-year break. The Star and Biznakenya, which both link the suspension to the Covid-19 pandemic, say six years.

The Star reports that after the suspension the airline concentrated on strengthening its domestic operations. Chief Executive Karanja Ndegwa said Jambojet is "returning to Entebbe with the experience we gained from our first chapter on the route, a densified network and a clear ambition to make regional travel more accessible and reliable," according to Citizen Digital. Capital FM reports him as saying the route will support trade, tourism and investment between Kenya and Uganda.

The Star and Biznakenya say the route will carry cargo and parcels as well as passengers, and will let travellers from Entebbe connect to Jambojet's Kenyan destinations: Mombasa, Diani, Malindi and Lamu. Both outlets also cite an estimate of 300,000 passengers travelling between Kenya and Uganda during 2026.

Jambojet expanded its active fleet to 11 aircraft in April 2026, recently passed 10 million passengers carried and recorded 86.45 per cent on-time performance in July, according to The Star. By July 2026 it held about 57 per cent of Kenya's domestic aviation market.

Teresia Mbaika, Principal Secretary for Aviation and Aerospace Development, urged the airline to make the route commercially viable, consider adding frequencies as demand grows and improve customer service, Capital FM reports. Kenya Tourism Board CEO June Chepkemei said the service "will make it easier for visitors to combine experiences across our two countries," according to Citizen Digital.

Ababu Namwamba, Kenya's High Commissioner to Uganda, said demand for travel between the two countries remained strong, Capital FM reports.

Drafted and translated with AI assistance; reviewed and published by editor . How we use AI

Sources

Reporting Desk research, human-reviewed Sources 5 Published 3 Oct 2026 Updated 16 Oct 2026 Corrections see correction above How we check

  1. Jambojet relaunches Nairobi-Entebbe route after seven-year break capitalfm.africa
  2. Jambojet resumes daily flights between Nairobi and Entebbe, Uganda citizen.digital about
  3. Jambojet returns to Entebbe after six-year hiatus the-star.co.ke about
  4. Jambojet returns to Nairobi–Entebbe route, amid growing regional demand biznakenya.com
  5. JamboJet Resumes International Service in 4Q26 aeroroutes.com

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