Air Zimbabwe resumes scheduled nonstop flights between Harare Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport (HRE) and London Gatwick (LGW) on July 22, 2026, restoring direct service between Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom for the first time since 2012. Flights operate three times weekly, departing Harare on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays and returning from Gatwick on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Both directions use Gatwick South Terminal. Promotional fares start at US$495 one-way from Harare and £490 one-way from London.
Because Air Zimbabwe itself remains on the EU and UK lists of banned carriers due to unresolved safety findings, the route is operated under an ACMI wet-lease agreement with Plus Ultra Lineas Aereas, a Spanish carrier. Under the arrangement, brokered by Chapman Freeborn Aviation Services, Plus Ultra provides the Airbus A330-300, flight crew, maintenance and insurance, while Air Zimbabwe handles ticket sales and the commercial operation.
Aviation Week and aviator.aero, reporting on July 9, 2026, both confirmed the July 22 launch date. Simple Flying described Air Zimbabwe as the third new long-haul carrier at Gatwick in 2026, alongside AirAsia and Air Arabia, reflecting that airport's push to attract intercontinental services as Heathrow slot availability remains constrained.
Harare to London has been described by Airbus as the single largest unserved city pair in Africa by passenger demand, a gap the new service is intended to close.
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