AIR Zimbabwe has failed to meet its June target to resume direct flights to London, with the national carrier now setting 1 July 2026 as the new launch date for its Harare–London Gatwick service.
Mutapa Investment Fund chief executive John Mangudya had earlier indicated in January that the airline would be flying to London “by June this year, or before June”, based on assurances from Air Zimbabwe leadership. The deadline has now passed without the route taking off.
The planned service will operate under an ACMI arrangement (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance), with Spanish carrier Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas providing aircraft and crew, while Air Zimbabwe operates the branding and commercial side of the route.
The wet-lease model allows the airline to restart long-haul operations without deploying its own aircraft. Air Zimbabwe has no serviceable wide-body aircraft capable of operating European routes.
Plus Ultra is expected to deploy either an Airbus A330-200 or A340-300, both suitable for non-stop Harare–Gatwick operations and compliant with UK aviation requirements. The final aircraft selection will depend on availability at launch.
Gatwick Airport was chosen over Heathrow due to slot availability for wet-lease operators. The airport already hosts several African carriers, including RwandAir and Air Mauritius.
Mangudya has previously described the London route as commercially strategic, citing Zimbabwe’s large diaspora in the United Kingdom. UK figures estimate over 128,000 Zimbabwe-born residents in England and Wales.
He also pointed to export potential, noting that the route previously supported fast airfreight of horticultural exports such as flowers, peas and berries into UK markets. Since its suspension, exporters have relied on indirect routes via Johannesburg, Nairobi and Addis Ababa, increasing costs and transit times.
Air Zimbabwe last operated direct flights to London in December 2011. The route collapsed amid aircraft grounding challenges and failure to meet European regulatory and insurance requirements.
Since then, multiple relaunch attempts have been announced over the years but none have been implemented.
The airline currently operates a small fleet comprising one Embraer ERJ-145 and a leased ATR 42-500 serving regional destinations including Johannesburg, Lusaka and Dar es Salaam.
It is also in the process of disposing of two Boeing 777-200ER aircraft acquired in 2018, which never entered service due to certification and funding constraints. Proceeds are expected to support fleet restructuring under the Mutapa Investment Fund.
Air Zimbabwe had not confirmed ticket sales, schedules or flight frequency for the planned London service at the time of publication.
