Nonstop flight route between Memphis, Tennessee, United States and Nairobi, Kenya:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from MEM to NBO:
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- About this route
- MEM Airport Information
- NBO Airport Information
- Facts about MEM
- Facts about NBO
- Map of Nearest Airports to MEM
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- List of Furthest Airports from MEM
- Map of Nearest Airports to NBO
- List of Nearest Airports to NBO
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- List of Furthest Airports from NBO
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Memphis International Airport (MEM), Memphis, Tennessee, United States and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO), Nairobi, Kenya would travel a Great Circle distance of 8,313 miles (or 13,378 kilometers).
A Great Circle is the shortest distance between 2 points on a sphere. Because most world maps are flat (but the Earth is round), the route of the shortest distance between 2 points on the Earth will often appear curved when viewed on a flat map, especially for long distances. If you were to simply draw a straight line on a flat map and measure a very long distance, it would likely be much further than if you were to lay a string between those two points on a globe. Because of the large distance between Memphis International Airport and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the route shown on this map most likely appears curved because of this reason.
Try it at home! Get a globe and tightly lay a string between Memphis International Airport and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | MEM / KMEM |
Airport Name: | Memphis International Airport |
Location: | Memphis, Tennessee, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 35°2'32"N by 89°58'36"W |
Area Served: | Memphis, Tennessee |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 341 feet (104 meters) |
# of Runways: | 4 |
View all routes: | Routes from MEM |
More Information: | MEM Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | NBO / HKJK |
Airport Name: | Jomo Kenyatta International Airport |
Location: | Nairobi, Kenya |
GPS Coordinates: | 1°19'6"S by 36°55'32"E |
Area Served: | Nairobi |
Operator/Owner: | Kenya Airports Authority |
Airport Type: | Joint (Civil and Military) |
Elevation: | 5327 feet (1,624 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from NBO |
More Information: | NBO Maps & Info |
Facts about Memphis International Airport (MEM):
- The closest airport to Memphis International Airport (MEM) is Olive Branch Airport (OLV), which is located only 12 miles (19 kilometers) ESE of MEM.
- The Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center is on the airport grounds at 3229 Democrat Road, TN 38118.
- Because of Memphis International Airport's relatively low elevation of 341 feet, planes can take off or land at Memphis International Airport at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
- Memphis International Airport handled 7,874,888 passengers last year.
- From 1993 to 2009 Memphis had the largest cargo operations of any airport worldwide.
- Southern Airways was an important regional carrier at Memphis in the 1960s.
- Memphis International Airport (MEM) has 4 runways.
- The furthest airport from Memphis International Airport (MEM) is Margaret River Airport (MGV), which is located 11,010 miles (17,719 kilometers) away in Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia.
Facts about Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO):
- Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) currently has only 1 runway.
- The furthest airport from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) is Atuona Airport (AUQ), which is located 11,621 miles (18,703 kilometers) away in Atuona, Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia.
- An addition to the existing terminal building, Unit 4, is under construction at a cost of 9.4 billion Kenyan shillings and is slated to open in 2013.
- International arrivals are bused to a temporary facility set up in the ground floor of the new parkade.
- Once complete, the terminal will have 60 check-in positions, 32 air bridges and eight remote gates.
- Jomo Kenyatta International Airport handled 580,363 passengers last year.
- A new instrument landing system-equipped runway 5,500 metres in length has been approved for construction at a cost of 12.8 billion Kenyan shillings.
- The closest airport to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) is Wilson Airport (WIL), which is located only 8 miles (12 kilometers) W of NBO.
- On 7 August 2013, a fire originating in the immigration area caused massive damage to the airport and forced it to suspend operations temporarily.
- Because of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport's high elevation of 5,327 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at NBO. Combined with a high temperature, this could make NBO a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.