Gatwick regains Africa service after 14-year absence

A direct scheduled service between Gatwick and Harare is being re-established after a gap of 14 years.

Air Zimbabwe is restarting the route later this month with an initial three flights a week.

The service will be operated by Spanish carrier Plus Ultra using an Airbus A330 under a long-term lease agreement organised by sector specialist Chapman Freeborn.

Plus Ultra will provide the aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance, while the flights will operate under Air Zimbabwe’s flight code.

Chapman Freeborn IMEA president Linas Dovydenas said: “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.

“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 [Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance] can play an important role in supporting that growth, particularly on strategic routes where speed, flexibility and operational reliability are essential.”