Air Zimbabwe will resume direct flights between Harare and London Gatwick after more than 14 years through an ACMI partnership facilitated by Chapman Freeborn and operated by Plus Ultra
Air Zimbabwe Restarts Harare-London Gatwick Route After 14 Years With Chapman Freeborn Support
Air Zimbabwe is set to resume direct scheduled flights between Harare and London Gatwick by the end of July 2026, restoring a key international route more than 14 years after it was suspended.
The service is being made possible through a tailored Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) solution arranged by global aircraft charter and leasing specialist Chapman Freeborn, a member of Avia Solutions Group. Spanish carrier Plus Ultra will operate the route with an Airbus A330 under a long-term ACMI agreement, with services expected to begin with three weekly flights between Harare and London Gatwick.
Under the agreement, Plus Ultra will provide the aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance, while the flights will operate under Air Zimbabwe’s flight code. Chapman Freeborn said it provided the ACMI and contract management expertise required to structure the long-haul operation, working closely with both airlines throughout the project.
The return of the route is expected to reconnect Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, strengthening commercial, tourism and cultural ties while providing improved travel options for the Zimbabwean diaspora, business travellers and tourists. The service is also expected to boost direct air freight capacity for time-sensitive exports, including horticultural and other perishable products destined for the UK market.
Speaking on the development, President, India, Middle East and Africa (IMEA) at Chapman Freeborn, Linas Dovydenas, described the project as a major milestone for Zimbabwe’s national carrier.
“This is an important milestone for Air Zimbabwe and a significant step in restoring direct connectivity between Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom. We are proud to have played an important role in supporting this project, working closely with Air Zimbabwe and Plus Ultra to help deliver the right structure for the route.”
He added: “Across Africa, we continue to see growing demand for flexible capacity solutions as airlines look to rebuild networks, respond to passenger demand and manage fleet requirements more efficiently. ACMI can play an important role in supporting that growth, particularly on strategic routes where speed, flexibility and operational reliability are essential.”
Also commenting, Chapman Freeborn’s Director of ACMI and Leasing, Daniel Huggins, said restoring long-haul routes requires extensive coordination among airlines, regulators and commercial partners.
“Long-haul ACMI programmes require close coordination between airlines, operators, aviation authorities and commercial partners, from aircraft suitability and planning to regulatory requirements and operational readiness. In this case, our team supported the project from a capacity and contract management perspective, helping to bring together the right structure for a strategically important route. This project demonstrates how collaborative capacity solutions can help airlines restore important routes and bring strategic services back to market,” Huggins said.
Chapman Freeborn’s ACMI division provides short-, medium- and long-term aircraft capacity solutions for airlines worldwide across narrow-body, wide-body, regional and cargo fleets. The company said its tailored leasing and ACMI services help airlines manage fleet capacity, restore suspended routes and meet evolving operational demands.
