Chapman Freeborn helps restore Air Zimbabwe’s Harare–London Gatwick route

Chapman Freeborn, the global air aircraft charter and leasing specialist and part of Avia

Solutions Group, has supported Air Zimbabwe with a tailored ACMI capacity solution for

the planned resumption of direct scheduled services between Harare and London

Gatwick.

The route is expected to restart by the end of July 2026, reconnecting Zimbabwe and

the United Kingdom after more than 14 years. The service will be operated by Spanish

carrier Plus Ultra using an Airbus A330 aircraft under a long-term ACMI agreement, with

initial operations expected to include three weekly frequencies between Harare and

London Gatwick.

Under the ACMI structure, Plus Ultra will provide the aircraft, crew, maintenance and

insurance, while the flights will operate under Air Zimbabwe’s flight code. Chapman

Freeborn provided the ACMI and contract management support needed to help shape

the long-haul operating structure for the route, working closely with the teams involved

throughout the process.

The route represents more than the return of an air service. It re-establishes an

important commercial, tourism and cultural link between the two countries, while

improving travel options for the Zimbabwean diaspora, business travellers and tourists.

It is also expected to support direct air freight capacity for time-sensitive exports,

including horticultural and perishable products destined for the UK market.

“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 can play an important role in supporting that

growth, particularly on strategic routes where speed, flexibility and operational reliability

are essential,” says Linas Dovydenas, President – IMEA at Chapman Freeborn.

“Long-haul ACMI programmes require close coordination between airlines, operators,

aviation authorities and commercial partners, from aircraft suitability and planning to

regulatory requirements and operational readiness. In this case, our team supported the

project from a capacity and contract management perspective, helping to bring together

the right structure for a strategically important route. This project demonstrates how

collaborative capacity solutions can help airlines restore important routes and bring

strategic services back to market,” says Daniel Huggins, Director – ACMI & Leasing at

Chapman Freeborn.

Chapman Freeborn’s ACMI team supports airlines worldwide with short-, medium- and

long-term capacity requirements across narrowbody, widebody, regional and cargo

aircraft.

The company provides tailored aircraft leasing and ACMI solutions that help carriers

manage capacity, restore routes and respond to complex operational requirements.

About Chapman Freeborn

With more than 50 years of experience and extensive global coverage, Chapman

Freeborn provides private air passenger and cargo charter services, aircraft leasing,

ACMI solutions and specialist aviation services for major corporations, governments,

NGOs, relief agencies and high net-worth individuals. The company is part of Avia

Solutions Group, a global aviation services group with expertise across ACMI, MRO,

pilot and crew training, ground handling and related aviation services.

For more information, please visit www.chapmanfreeborn.aero