Virgin Atlantic and Kenya Airways improve connectivity to Kenya

Virgin Atlantic and Kenya Airways have entered into a codeshare partnership, enhancing connectivity between the UK and East Africa. The codeshare allows Virgin Atlantic customers to book flights directly on Kenya Airways’ route between London Heathrow and Nairobi. This agreement between the SkyTeam alliance members simplifies travel to Kenya for international visitors, including those from the UK, who can now enter with online authorisation instead of a traditional visa.

Kenya is one of East Africa’s prime safari destinations. It’s popular with North American and UK travellers who travel to the continent to experience the Great Wildebeest Migration between Tanzania and Kenya. The US led as the top source market, with 209,360 visitors in 2022.

The UK is its third largest international source market, with 131,526 tourists visiting the top safari destination in 2022. This only exceeded Uganda, which had 151,121 visitors. Kenya Airways passengers can connect via Heathrow to Virgin’s services to Caribbean destinations such as Barbados and The Bahamas. Virgin Atlantic is the sole UK carrier offering codesharing on the Heathrow to Nairobi route.

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Migration River Crossings Safari with Governors...

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Kenya’s most obvious drawcard is the annual Great Wildebeest Migration, where hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle traverse East Africa. Yet, this all-round safari season destination has many natural and cultural drawcards to experience:

Top Things to Experience and Explore in Kenya

Experience the rich Maasai culture.
Kenya has over 60 national parks, including the famous Masai Mara, Amboseli, and Tsavo.
Go from bushwhacking to beach bliss with Kenya’s rustic beaches, including Diani Beach.
Discover Kenya’s Rift Valley lakes, home to eight lakes such as Lake Naivasha and the flamingo-populated Lake Nakuru.
Mount Kenya, the second-highest peak in Africa, offers superb natural scenery and a challenging adventure for climbers.

Are you considering a safari trip to Kenya? Use the Discover Africa’s Safari Cost Calculator, and then get in touch to let our safari experts help you plan your next bucket list adventure.

Written by Micky Baker

• Travel Writer

Micky is an experienced writer and photographer with a fiery passion for conservation, ecology, and human rights. He's also an avid safari-goer.

Verified by Vihann Van Wyk

• Africa Safari Expert

With over a decade of experience in the safari industry, Vihann has journeyed from being a professional field guide to managing lodges before finding his passion in helping travellers plan the perfect safari.