Air Zimbabwe delays London Gatwick return, now targeting 1 July launch

Air Zimbabwe delays London Gatwick return, now targeting 1 July launch

For all the News from Mashonaland Central, Join One of Our Groups

Air Zimbabwe will miss the June deadline for resuming non-stop flights to London previously set out by Mutapa Investment Fund chief executive John Mangudya, with the national carrier now aiming to launch the Harare–London Gatwick service on 1 July.

Mangudya said in January that the airline would be flying to London by mid-year, adding he had been assured by Air Zimbabwe’s chair and chief executive that the route would resume “by June this year, or before June”. The June target has now passed without a launch.

The service is expected to be operated under an ACMI arrangement — Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance — with Spanish long-haul operator Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas providing the aircraft and crew while flights are marketed under the Air Zimbabwe brand. The wet-lease model allows the carrier to re-enter long-haul operations despite not having serviceable wide-body aircraft available in its own fleet.

Air Zimbabwe last operated flights to London in December 2011, when its Boeing 767-200 aircraft were at risk of repossession by creditors and were also struggling to meet European regulatory and insurance requirements.

To Advertise Inbox Us

In the years since, successive transport ministers and airline executives have repeatedly announced that a London relaunch was imminent, but the plans did not materialise.

Mangudya has argued that the London route is among the most commercially attractive in Africa because of the size of the Zimbabwean diaspora in the United Kingdom. He has also pointed to the potential to revive exports, saying Zimbabwean fresh produce previously reached British supermarket shelves overnight.

Plus Ultra is expected to deploy either an Airbus A340-300 or Airbus A330-200 on the route, depending on fleet availability when operations begin. Both aircraft types are capable of non-stop flights between Harare and Gatwick and meet UK and European airworthiness standards.

Gatwick was selected rather than Heathrow, reflecting the greater slot availability often needed by carriers operating under wet-lease arrangements. The airport also offers broad access to the wider London area and is already used by several African airlines.

Air Zimbabwe currently operates one Embraer ERJ-145 jet and a leased ATR 42-500 on domestic and regional services. The airline is also disposing of two Boeing 777 aircraft acquired from Malaysia Airlines but never placed into service, with proceeds expected to contribute towards a deposit on smaller domestic aircraft.

The Mutapa Investment Fund, which has absorbed debts from state-owned enterprises including Air Zimbabwe, is overseeing the fleet restructuring plan.

Follow Our WhatsApp Channel for all the News from Mashonaland Central – Bindura, Mbire, Guruve, Mount Darwin, Rushinga, Shamva, Mazowe & Muzarabani