London Gatwick Airport welcomes Air Zimbabwe service from Harare following 14 year absence
London Gatwick Airport head of aviation development Jonny Macneal welcomed (24-Jul-2026) the resumption of three times weekly Harare-London Gatwick service by Air Zimbabwe on 23-Jul-2026. Mr Macneal stated: "We're delighted to celebrate the launch of this service to Harare, adding another exciting destination to London Gatwick's growing network and establishing the airport as the UK's only direct link to Zimbabwe's capital", adding: "The return of direct services between London and Harare after an absence of more than 14 years is hugely significant and provides much-needed connectivity for passengers wishing to travel to and from Zimbabwe. We're excited to deliver this connectivity and the enthusiasm which greeted the arrival of the first flight was fantastic to see. We look forward to working with Air Zimbabwe in the years ahead". [more - original PR]
Background ✨
Air Zimbabwe announced plans to resume three times weekly Harare-London Gatwick from 22-Jul-2026 using A330-300 equipment under a long term ACMI contract with Plus Ultra Airlines, supported by Chapman Freeborn.1 It subsequently reported the arrival of a leased A330-300 at Harare ahead of launch, with operations to be flown by Plus Ultra under the ACMI agreement.2 Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Finance said Minister Mthuli Ncube discussed prospects for reviving Harare-London flights with the UK’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe Peter Vowles on 02-Mar-2026, noting no nonstop scheduled services per OAG/CAPA.3