---
title: "NBO is which airport? Nairobi"
description: "NBO is Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. Why the code is NBO and not something you could guess, plus the codes it gets mixed up with."
url: https://atoneplace.net/airport/nbo/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What airport is NBO?

**NBO is: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport**

Nairobi, Kenya

## Why the code is NBO

NairOBi, rearranged.

This is the explanation in general circulation and it is very likely right, but no primary document has been published that settles it. Treated as an account rather than a fact.

## The airport

- **IATA code:** NBO
- **ICAO code:** HKJK
- **Airport:** Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
- **City:** Nairobi, Kenya
- **Code origin:** The usual account, unverified

Nairobi is the main hub for East Africa and one of the busiest cargo airports on the continent, largely because of cut flowers: roses picked in Kenya in the morning are in European shops the following day.

## The other code, HKJK

Every airport has two codes. The three-letter IATA code, NBO, is the one on your boarding pass and your luggage tag, and it is assigned for commercial use. The four-letter ICAO code, HKJK, is the one pilots and controllers use, and it is assigned geographically: the first letter or two identify the region, so every airport in the same part of the world shares a prefix. That is why HKJK looks nothing like NBO.

## Common questions

### What airport is NBO?

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, in Nairobi, Kenya.

### Why is Nairobi's airport called NBO?

NairOBi, rearranged.

### What is the difference between NBO and HKJK?

NBO is the IATA code, used commercially — tickets, timetables, luggage tags. HKJK is the ICAO code, used operationally by pilots and air traffic control, and assigned geographically by region.

## Related pages

- [Kenya](https://atoneplace.net/country/kenya/)
- [The flag of Kenya](https://atoneplace.net/flag/kenya/)
- [Airport codes in Kenya](https://atoneplace.net/airport/in/kenya/)

## Sources

- OurAirports — OurAirports (https://ourairports.com/data/) [Public domain]