Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
AIR ZIMBABWE has carried more than 637 passengers and 12 tonnes of cargo between Harare and London Gatwick since the airline relaunched the route on July 22, in what officials are calling proof that the national carrier, and its airports, are being rebuilt for international competition.
By Tuesday this week, the airline had undertaken six flights.
Monday’s flight brought 165 passengers and 1,2 tonnes of cargo to Harare.
The inaugural July 22 service carried 77 passengers and 6,5 tonnes of cargo to Gatwick; the return leg brought 145 passengers.
A subsequent Harare-Gatwick flight carried 70 passengers and 3,2 tonnes of cargo, followed by a Gatwick-Harare service with 140 passengers, and another Harare-Gatwick flight with 40 passengers and 1,1 tonnes of cargo.
Bookings are running well ahead of what has already flown.
1 479 passengers have confirmed seats and more than 30 tonnes of cargo has been secured, the airline said.
Flights depart Harare on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with return services from Gatwick on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
The route’s foreign operator permit was issued on July 1, 2026.
“165 reasons to celebrate,” the airline said in a statement on Monday marking the flight’s arrival.
“Flight UM725 has landed safely at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport with 165 passengers on board, reconnecting families and loved ones through the convenience of Air Zimbabwe’s direct London-Harare service. No stopovers. Just one seamless journey bringing Zimbabwe closer to its global community.”
The route’s return is being paired with a broader overhaul of Zimbabwe’s airport infrastructure.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Felix Mhona said the direct Harare-London Gatwick flights resumed on July 22, 2026 after a 14-year hiatus, deploying an Airbus A330-300, and that the route had recorded a strong signal of market confidence.
Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport and Victoria Falls Airport have recently been upgraded and modernised, Minister Mhona said, with RGMIA’s handling capacity increased from 2,5 million to 6 million passengers a year.
“Joshua Nkomo International Airport will also be upgraded to include a new control tower and runway. Charles Prince Airport is to be upgraded to an international airport to serve the New City, Mt Hampden,” Minister Mhona said.
“New airports on the cards include Mutare Airport, New Kariba Airport and Beitbridge Airport.”
The relaunch is the latest addition to Gatwick’s expanding route network, which has added 11 new routes so far this year.
The airport currently offers 27 routes to Africa operated by 18 carriers, with new routes and airlines continuing to expand its international connections.
Passenger traffic between London Gatwick and Africa has risen 72 percent since 2023, according to the airport.
Head of aviation development at London Gatwick Mr Jonny Macneal said the ending of the direct air link’s absence was significant.
“We are 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,” Mr Macneal said.
“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 are 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.”
This summer, he said, passengers travelling from Gatwick can choose from more than 230 destinations served by a record 63 airline partners.
For Mutapa Investment Fund, Zimbabwe’s sovereign wealth fund, the route is as much a statement about public enterprise reform as it is about aviation.
Chief executive officer Dr John Mangudya said the relaunch does three things at once.
“This is a significant milestone in the history of our country because it does three things; it connects Zimbabwe to Europe through UK and therefore it means easy movement of people between Zimbabwe and Europe and UK.
“Number two, it promotes trade between Zimbabwe and UK in particular in this case because most of our horticulture produce is destined for Europe and therefore it means overnight, we have got our products, our horticulture produce, our blueberries going through this aircraft which is about 34 tonnes of freight,” said Dr Mangudya.
“Thirdly, it promotes tourism with the country and more significantly so, this shows a turnaround of our public enterprises in Zimbabwe.”
Mutapa’s mandate, he said, is to turn national assets into national value.
“So, when you want the value from Air Zimbabwe, they need to fly. Flying going where? Going domestically, regional and international. And therefore, this is one such transformative connection between Zimbabwe and London, which has not been in service for the past 14 years.
“So, we are very happy this day, we are pleased because what we promised in the beginning of the year that around the middle of the year we shall have flights between Harare London and it has come to fruition,” Dr Mangudya said.
The Mutapa Investment Fund was established to preserve, grow and deploy national wealth in support of Zimbabwe’s long-term economic transformation.
