Air Zimbabwe to relaunch non-stop London flights
Air Zimbabwe plans to restore non-stop flights between its hub Harare and London later this month, marking the carrier’s return to the UK market after a 14-year absence.
The Zimbabwean flag carrier plans to restart services to London Gatwick at the end of July, bringing back a route that has been absent from its network since 2012.
The airline is seeking to operate the service using a leased Airbus A330-300 supplied by Spanish operator Plus Ultra, under a 13-month agreement.
Long-haul route from Zimbabwe returns after prolonged suspension
Initially, flights will operate twice a week, with departures from Harare scheduled for Fridays and Sundays.
It is expected to increase to a third weekly flight, on Wednesdays, in the future.
The wet-leased aircraft will have 302 seats, including 30 business class seats and 272 seats in economy.
The Harare-London route was once one of Air Zimbabwe’s principal long-haul services before financial pressures, fleet shortages and operational challenges linked to local instability forced its withdrawal more than a decade ago.
Since then, passengers travelling between Zimbabwe and the UK have largely relied on connecting services via Middle Eastern and African hubs.
Leased Airbus enables UK return
Zimbabwe’s government confirmed the relaunch following a Cabinet meeting in Harare, local media reported, describing the return of direct UK services as an important milestone for the national carrier.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Zhemu Soda was quoted by The Herald as saying: “The nation is advised that the airline will resume operations by the end of July 2026 and will use a leased Airbus A330-300 aircraft from Plus Ultra in Spain, with a total capacity of 302 seats, comprising 30 business-class seats and 272 economy-class seats.
“This positive outcome demonstrates the utility of His Excellency the President’s engagement and re-engagement policy and is testament to his continued commitment to positioning Zimbabwe as a competitive destination.”
How Air Zimbabwe is skirting around the European Union Air Safety List
The airline previously served London with Boeing 767-200ER aircraft before suspending operations in 2012.
In the years that followed, Air Zimbabwe announced several plans to restore long-haul services, including proposals to modernise its fleet, although none progressed to commercial operations.
By leasing an Airbus A330-300 from Plus Ultra, Air Zimbabwe will gain access to an aircraft that meets current UK and European regulatory and safety standards – a roadblock that has prevented a return using the airline’s own metal (though the only widebodies the carrier has are two parked Boeing 767-200s).
Air Zimbabwe remains on the European Union Air Safety List, which prohibits the airline from operating its own aircraft into EU member states because of safety oversight concerns.
However, by leasing an Airbus A330-300 from Spanish carrier Plus Ultra under an arrangement using an EU-certified operator and aircraft, the airline is able to restore the London service.
Featured image:
