Most Kilimanjaro expeditions base out of either Arusha or Moshi. International travelers fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO), located about halfway between the two towns. Don’t confuse JRO with the much smaller Arusha Airport (ARK), which handles only domestic bush flights and regional hops to Zanzibar or the safari circuits.
Unless you are already traveling within East Africa, the goal is landing directly at JRO on a single ticket. The primary routes from outside the continent run through Europe, the Middle East, or Addis Ababa:
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KLM via Amsterdam (AMS): The legacy standard and most convenient single-ticket option for North American and European trekkers. KLM flies daily to JRO. The flight departs Amsterdam in the morning, arrives at Kilimanjaro in the evening (roughly 8.5 hours), continues on to Dar es Salaam (DAR), and flies back overnight to Amsterdam. Because KLM partners with Delta and the SkyTeam alliance, connections from North American hubs are seamless.
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Qatar Airways via Doha (DOH): An increasingly popular and reliable alternative. Qatar offers daily flights from Hamad International Airport directly to JRO, with fast connections out of dozens of major North American, European, and Asian cities.
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Discover Airlines (Lufthansa Group) via Frankfurt (FRA): If you are traveling through Germany, Discover Airlines (formerly Eurowings Discover) operates seasonal direct flights from Frankfurt to JRO, connecting easily via Lufthansa’s Star Alliance network.
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Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Ababa (ADD): Ethiopian operates regular daily connections into JRO. They serve major departure cities across North America, Europe, and Asia, and frequently offer the most competitive fares.
You can fly into Nairobi (NBO) or Dar es Salaam (DAR) and connect on a regional airline, but I strongly advise against booking self-transfers or mixing disparate carrier tickets. A delayed bag on an unprotected connection can mean starting a multi-day climb without your boots or sleeping bag. Buy a single-ticket itinerary straight into JRO.