British Airways Adds Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar from Gatwick

British Airways will launch a new long-haul service to Tanzania from London Gatwick Airport next year. The triangular route to Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar begins on May 29, 2027, operating three times per week throughout the summer season.

Flights will use the Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. According to the airline's Chief Planning and Strategy Officer, Neil Chernoff, the new routes strengthen its footprint in East Africa and open the door to extraordinary travel experiences. The carrier announced the plan in a statement.

Route Schedule and Operation

Flight BA2163 will depart London Gatwick at 9:05 AM. It arrives at Kilimanjaro International Airport at 8:20 PM local time. After a brief stop, the same aircraft continues to Zanzibar, landing at 10:25 PM. The return leg departs Zanzibar after a two-hour ground stop at 12:25 AM, arriving back at Gatwick at 7:55 AM the following day. Services are scheduled to run until October 31, 2027.

British Airways noted the timing is well-suited for travelers during school holidays.

European Competition for Tanzanian Traffic

British Airways is not alone in targeting the Tanzanian market with multi-stop flights. Current scheduling data from aviation analytics company Cirium shows several European carriers operating similar triangular routes this month.

Neos also operates nonstop flights from Rome to Zanzibar, with return services stopping in Bari or Catania. Meanwhile, Air Tanzania currently flies three times weekly from Dar Es Salaam to Moscow Vnukovo via Zanzibar. Wanderlust Magazine reports the Tanzanian flag carrier is also eyeing its own flights to London Gatwick starting in July 2027, reportedly planning to use the Boeing 787.

British Airways' African Network from London

The new route expands British Airways' African network from its two London hubs. This month, the airline has 391 African departures scheduled from London. Of these, 105 depart from Gatwick and 286 from Heathrow.

From Gatwick, the airline serves Accra, Algiers, Marrakesh, Mauritius, and Rabat. Marrakesh is the busiest of these with ten weekly flights. From Heathrow, destinations include Abuja, Accra, Cairo, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Lagos, Marrakesh, and Nairobi. Cairo and Johannesburg are the top routes from Heathrow, each with two daily flights. The Johannesburg service is the airline's only African route operated by the Airbus A380.

The airline described Africa as something of a forgotten continent in its long-haul network compared to its large presence in Asia and North America. The new Tanzanian route is a step to rectify that.