Zimbabwe’s government has announced that Air Zimbabwe is expected to restore direct flights between Harare and London by the end of July 2026, marking the airline’s return to the route after almost 15 years.

Speaking after Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Information Minister Zhemu Soda said the national carrier plans to operate the service using an Airbus A330-300 leased from Spanish airline Plus Ultra. The aircraft, provided under a wet-lease agreement, has a total capacity of 302 passengers, including 30 business class and 272 economy seats.

According to Soda, the service is scheduled to begin before the end of the month, with three return flights each week operating on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Air Zimbabwe suspended its London operations in December 2011 after mounting financial problems, creditor pressures and operational difficulties made the route unsustainable. Before the suspension, the airline operated up to six flights a week between Harare and London and also offered charter services connecting the UK with Victoria Falls.

Although Air Zimbabwe remains prohibited from operating its own aircraft into Europe and the United Kingdom because of longstanding safety concerns, the planned service will operate under an Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) agreement. Under this arrangement, Plus Ultra will supply the aircraft, flight crew, maintenance and insurance, while the flights will be marketed under Air Zimbabwe’s flight code. Aviation services company Chapman Freeborn Aviation Services facilitated the leasing agreement.

The airline has been listed on the European Union’s Air Safety List since 2017 and is also restricted from conducting commercial flights to, from and within the United Kingdom using its own aircraft. However, aviation regulations allow airlines subject to such restrictions to exercise their traffic rights through approved wet-lease operators.

The resumption of the Harare-London route is a key component of Air Zimbabwe’s turnaround strategy being driven by its shareholder, the Mutapa Investment Fund, which has consistently identified the route as essential to rebuilding the airline’s long-haul network.

Despite the absence of direct flights, demand for travel between Harare and London has remained strong. Industry figures indicate that about 108,000 passengers travelled between the two cities in 2025, with most using connecting services through Addis Ababa, Dubai, Doha, Johannesburg and Nairobi.

The return of nonstop flights is also expected to benefit Zimbabwe’s horticultural sector by providing faster access to the UK market. Previously, direct services enabled exporters to deliver fresh produce to British buyers within a day of harvesting.

The announcement follows several postponed launch dates. Air Zimbabwe had previously indicated that the London service could resume in June 2026, while earlier reports had suggested operations would restart on July 1.