PLUS ULTRA A330 TO OPERATE UNDER AIR ZIMBABWE CODE ON THREE WEEKLY FREQUENCIES

Air Zimbabwe is preparing to resume direct scheduled services between Harare Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport and London Gatwick, with operations expected to begin before the end of July 2026. The service will be operated by Spanish carrier Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas using an Airbus A330 aircraft under a long-term ACMI agreement, with flights marketed and operated under Air Zimbabwe’s flight code. Initial operations are planned at three weekly frequencies between the two cities.

The resumption ends a direct air link between Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom that has been absent for more than 14 years, re-establishing a commercially, culturally and strategically significant connection between the two countries. For the sizeable Zimbabwean diaspora community in the United Kingdom, the restoration of a direct service removes the need for connecting itineraries through third countries — a requirement that has added time, cost and operational friction to the route for over a decade.

CHAPMAN FREEBORN’S ROLE IN STRUCTURING THE OPERATION

Chapman Freeborn, the global aircraft charter and leasing specialist that forms part of Avia Solutions Group, provided the ACMI and contract management support needed to help shape the long-haul operating structure for the route, working closely with both Air Zimbabwe and Plus Ultra throughout the process. Linas Dovydenas, President for IMEA at Chapman Freeborn, described the restart as an important milestone for Air Zimbabwe and a significant step in restoring direct connectivity between Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, and said Chapman Freeborn was proud to have played a role in supporting the project.

Dovydenas noted that across Africa, Chapman Freeborn was seeing growing demand for flexible capacity solutions as airlines sought to rebuild networks, respond to passenger demand and manage fleet requirements more efficiently, and that ACMI was particularly well suited to support growth on strategic routes where speed, flexibility and operational reliability were essential. Daniel Huggins, Director of ACMI and Leasing at Chapman Freeborn, said long-haul ACMI programmes required close coordination between airlines, operators, aviation authorities and commercial partners across aircraft suitability, planning, regulatory requirements and operational readiness, and that the project demonstrated how collaborative capacity solutions could help airlines restore important routes and bring strategic services back to market.

CARGO, TOURISM AND TRADE SIGNIFICANCE

Beyond its passenger connectivity value, the resumed service is expected to deliver direct air freight capacity for time-sensitive Zimbabwean exports — including horticultural and perishable products — destined for the UK market, a category of cargo that depends heavily on rapid point-to-point transit. The route is also expected to support inbound tourism to Zimbabwe and strengthen travel options for business travellers and investors moving between the two countries.