313,944 passengers landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in December 2025, a 16.5% increase from the previous month, according to according to the latest Leading Economic Indicators December 2025.
- •The influx of arrivals provided a much-needed boost to the tourism sector, which had seen a more tempered performance in the preceding months.
- •Total visitor arrivals across all border points, including JKIA and Moi International Airport, had previously dipped from 219,570 in October to 201,684 in November 2025.
- •While North America saw the most explosive percentage growth, with departures to the region surging by 74.1% to 4,063 and arrivals growing by 57.0% to 4,906, other regions provided the high volume necessary to sustain the hub.
The departure gates at JKIA were similarly active, with embarked passengers increasing by 3.5% to reach 287,914. While the growth in departures was more modest than the surge in arrivals, the underlying data reveals a shifting geographical dynamic in Kenya's primary aviation markets.
The African Continent: Traditionally the backbone of JKIA’s traffic, African ports continued to drive a high volume of passengers. East Africa remained a dominant contributor, supported by steady flows from West, North, and Southern Africa, balancing the airport’s dependence on long-haul international flights.
Europe & Asia: These regions remain critical pillars for Kenyan tourism and trade. As primary sources for both leisure and business travel, they added substantial volume to the landed passenger totals, maintaining their position as the highest-contributing international regions by absolute numbers.
While the aviation sector enjoyed a banner month, the broader transport landscape showed a clear shift toward modern infrastructure. The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) saw a massive spike in demand, with passenger numbers jumping from 258,600 in November to 344,391 in December. This surge pushed SGR passenger revenue to KSh 602.3 million for the month.
In contrast, the older Metre Gauge Railway (MGR) struggled to maintain its footing. MGR passenger traffic declined from 244,825 in November to 227,030 in December, although it managed to grow revenue slightly to KSh 16.2 million over the same period.
