Air Zimbabwe Resumes London Flights via Spanish Carrier Lease

Air Zimbabwe will resume direct flights between Harare and London Gatwick starting July 22, 2026, ending a service suspension that began in December 2011. Because the airline remains on the European Union’s Air Safety List and is barred from commercial operations in the UK, it has entered a 13-month Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) wet-lease agreement with Spanish carrier Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas. This arrangement, brokered by Chapman Freeborn, allows Air Zimbabwe to utilize an Airbus A330-300 while retaining commercial branding.

The service will initially operate two weekly flights, expanding to three weekly frequencies on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Return flights from London's South Terminal will operate on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. One-way tickets are priced at US$495, with return fares at US$900.

The relaunch is part of a restructuring drive led by the Mutapa Investment Fund to boost horticultural exports and passenger travel. The initiative aims to capture passenger demand that currently relies on connecting flights and strengthen connectivity for the Zimbabwean diaspora.