The route between the Zimbabwean capital Harare and London Gatwick (LGW/EGKK) is set to resume later this month as Air Zimbabwe resumes the service after a break of 14 years.
The route is being restored with the help of Global air aircraft charter and leasing specialists Chapman Freeborn, part of the Avia Solutions Group, who have tailored an ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and insurance) package for the African airline.
Flights will be operated by Spanish carrier Plus Ultra using an Airbus A330 under a long term ACMI agreement and will initially operate three times per week.
Linas Dovydenas, President IMEA at Chapman Freeborn said: “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,”
The return of the city pair reestablishes an important connection between the UK and Zimbabwe and is an important milestone for Air Zimbabwe as it looks to restore direct connections to the UK.
Daniel Huggins, Director ACMI & Leasing at Chapman Freeborn added: “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,”
As well as passengers and business travellers, the route is expected to support freight moving between the two countries opening opportunities for time sensitive cargo such as perishable items and horticulture.
The route is expected to be run operation by the end of July.