Air Zimbabwe Targets June Relaunch of Harare–London Flights

National carrier Air Zimbabwe is planning to relaunch direct flights between Harare and London by June, as part of a broader revival strategy being led by the government through the Mutapa Investment Fund.

The announcement was made by John Mangudya, Chief Executive Officer of the Mutapa Investment Fund — Zimbabwe’s sovereign wealth fund that now oversees several state-owned enterprises, including Air Zimbabwe — during a public lecture at the Harare Institute of Technology (HIT).

Mangudya said the airline is working on acquiring a larger aircraft suitable for long-haul routes.

“We are putting in place a facility to lease a bigger aircraft, maybe a Boeing, to fly the Harare–London route,” Mangudya told the audience.

Air Zimbabwe has been absent from key international routes for years due to debt, fleet shortages and operational challenges, leaving Zimbabwe without a reliable national carrier on major global routes.

The proposed London service would mark one of the airline’s most significant international comebacks, reconnecting Zimbabwe directly to one of its most important travel and business destinations.

Mangudya also said the airline’s revival plan goes beyond international flights, with efforts underway to restore reliable domestic and regional operations.

“We are reviving Air Zimbabwe by leasing aircraft so that it can increase the frequency of its flights locally, regionally and go international,” he said.

He added that the government has already approved the sale of Air Zimbabwe’s Boeing 777, a move aimed at freeing up capital to acquire aircraft better suited for regional and domestic routes.

The proceeds from the sale, Mangudya said, will be used to support the airline’s fleet renewal programme.

The Air Zimbabwe revival is being closely watched as one of the first major tests of the Mutapa Investment Fund’s mandate to reform and commercialise struggling state-owned enterprises.

If successful, the return of the Harare–London route would not only boost tourism and business travel, but also restore a measure of national pride in Zimbabwe’s once-flagship airline