The airline plans to operate three weekly flights from London Gatwick, stopping at Kilimanjaro before continuing to Zanzibar.
British Airways will also increase flights between London Heathrow and Cape Town from seven to 10 a week later in 2027.
Aviation Analyst Dr Guy Leitch said the new services reflected growing demand for travel to Africa, despite the continent failing to realise long-standing aviation growth forecasts. “For years, IATA has been calling out Africa as being the major growth centre,” Leitch said.
“Unfortunately, it hasn’t quite fulfilled its potential. At one stage, it was saying that it expected 5% to 6% annual growth. We’ve seen a lot less than that, obviously discounting the bounce back after COVID.”
Leitch said international airlines were increasingly entering markets where African carriers had failed to provide sufficient capacity and connectivity. “One of the key problems we have with air connectivity in Africa is the lack of intra-African connectivity,” Leitch said.
“Foreign carriers are stepping into the space that should be occupied, or has been left vacant, by African carriers.”
Travel demand between the UK and East Africa had maintained a steady growth trajectory, helped by manageable distances, similar time zones and Tanzania’s tourism appeal.
The decision to operate from Gatwick rather than Heathrow suggested that British Airways was targeting direct, point-to-point travel rather than passengers connecting through a global hub. “I think that indicates a broad transition in flying models and connectivity models around the world,” Leitch said.
British Airways also has economies of scale and pricing flexibility that could place pressure on less efficient African airlines. “The problem with African airlines is that they are tremendously expensive, partly because governments impose exorbitant airport charges and fuel surcharges,” Leitch said.
Leitch said stronger air connectivity could support Tanzania’s tourism industry and generate wider economic benefits. “Every Dollar spent on an airline ticket creates $30 of additional wealth in the broader economy,” Leitch said.
In SA, the additional Cape Town frequencies could support international tourism, but Leitch said the expansion also highlighted limited long-haul capacity from SA Airways (SAA). “British Airways is stepping into the gap left by SAA,” Leitch said.
“It is all good for SA tourism, but what SA is missing most is long-haul flying by SAA.”
–ChanenlAfrica–
