Air Zimbabwe’s London Comeback Carries 637 Passengers, 12 Tonnes Of Cargo In First 10 Days Despite 2 Cancellations

By Ross Moyo

Air Zimbabwe ferried *637 passengers and 12 tonnes of cargo* on its revived Harare-London Gatwick route, despite having already registered *2 cancelled trips* in the first 10 days of operation. The figures were recorded between Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport and London Gatwick from *22 July to 29 July 2026*, across six flights to restore direct connectivity after a 14-year hiatus and test market demand. AirZim attained this using an Airbus A330-300 operating three times weekly.

The national carrier’s return to Europe is off to a strong start, even with the early setbacks. The two cancellations highlight the teething challenges of restarting a long-haul route, but load factors on the completed flights suggest strong underlying demand.

By Tuesday this week, Air Zimbabwe had completed six flights on the Harare-London route. The first flight on 22 July carried 77 passengers and 6.5 tonnes of cargo to Gatwick, with 145 passengers on the return.

Monday’s arrival, flight UM725, brought 165 passengers and 1.2 tonnes of cargo to Harare — the busiest leg so far. Other services carried between 40 and 140 passengers and up to 3.2 tonnes of cargo.

In total: *637 passengers and 12 tonnes of cargo in the first 10 days*.

Bookings look stronger after the airline said *1,479 passengers have confirmed seats* and more than *30 tonnes of cargo* has been secured for upcoming flights.

Flights depart Harare on *Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays*, with returns from Gatwick on *Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays*. The foreign operator permit was issued on 1 July 2026.

“165 reasons to celebrate,” the airline posted, calling the service “one seamless journey bringing Zimbabwe closer to its global community.”

#### *Infrastructure To Match The Ambition*
The relaunch comes as Zimbabwe upgrades its airports. Minister of Transport Felix Mhona said RGMIA’s capacity has been expanded from 2.5 million to 6 million passengers per year. Victoria Falls Airport has also been modernized.

Planned upgrades include a new control tower and runway at Joshua Nkomo International, upgrading Charles Prince to international status, and new airports in Mutare, Kariba and Beitbridge.

After 14 years, the Harare-London link is flying again. For Air Zimbabwe, the next test is turning strong bookings into sustained profitability.