Direct flights to Tanzania from London, Paris and Europe
From the UK, no airline flies to Tanzania without a connection. British Airways has announced its return to Tanzania after thirteen years’ absence: London Gatwick to Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar, three times a week, from 29 May to 31 October 2027 (British Airways). Until then, the only way from London is one stop, through the hubs described below.
Air France is the only airline linking France without a connection. It operates a loop from Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle to Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar; the route was suspended from 23 March to 31 May 2026, a pause that TourMag links to weaker demand. Air France no longer serves Dar es Salaam.
Elsewhere in Europe, Brussels Airlines has linked Brussels to Kilimanjaro since 3 June 2026, twice a week. KLM serves Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam from Amsterdam, with two flights a week announced from 15 December 2026 according to Aeroroutes. Edelweiss (Zurich), Condor (Frankfurt) and Neos (Milan) offer seasonal flights, mostly to Zanzibar.
Flights with a stopover: Istanbul, Doha, Addis Ababa, Dubai
Most travellers, from the UK as elsewhere, go through a hub. Turkish Airlines serves the three airports from Istanbul; Qatar Airways from Doha, with a daily flight to Zanzibar resumed on 25 October 2026; Ethiopian from Addis Ababa, which moves to seven flights a week to Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar from 30 November 2026. flydubai links Dubai to the three airports, EgyptAir Cairo to Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, Etihad Abu Dhabi to Zanzibar in season.
The choice of stopover has a health consequence. Kenya and Ethiopia are yellow fever risk countries for the WHO: a connection of more than twelve hours in Nairobi or Addis Ababa makes the vaccination certificate compulsory on arrival. The checker on the yellow fever page applies the rule to each stopover.
Is Air Tanzania banned in Europe and the UK?
Yes. The European Commission added Air Tanzania to its air safety list on 13 December 2024, then, on 3 June 2025, all airlines certified in Tanzania, citing “serious deficiencies” in the oversight exercised by the Tanzanian civil aviation authority (European Commission). The update of 8 June 2026 changed nothing, and no date for lifting is set. The United Kingdom applies the same ban.
For a British or European traveller, the consequence is simple: no Tanzanian airline flies to Europe, and long-haul links are operated by foreign airlines. Air Tanzania’s plan for London Gatwick, announced for July 2027, depends on the lifting of this ban.
The list does not concern flights within Tanzania. Domestic links, for example between Arusha and Zanzibar, are operated by Tanzanian airlines: Air Tanzania, Precision Air or regional carriers. The European ban concerns the oversight of these airlines, not a particular aircraft; it is information that everyone can take into account when booking. The last known serious accident, that of Precision Air on Lake Victoria, dates from 6 November 2022 (19 deaths).
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency carried out a mission in Tanzania from 1 to 3 September 2026, and an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organization is planned for early 2027 (TCAA).
Cancelled or suspended flights to Tanzania: what happened
The elections of 29 October 2025 disrupted traffic: curfew, internet cut for about five days, all domestic flights cancelled, international flights from Dar es Salaam cancelled or delayed, and travellers stranded in Zanzibar, unable to pay by card (Africanews). Emirates cancelled its flights to Dar es Salaam from 31 October to at least 4 November 2025. For October 2026, the FCDO reports calls to demonstrate around the anniversary of the vote, with no mention of an airport closure.
Disputes between states can also weigh: in January 2024, Tanzania withdrew Kenya Airways’ authorisation for the Nairobi–Dar es Salaam route, then restored it the very next day after an agreement (The Citizen).
Air Tanzania suspended its Moscow route in September 2026; information on its resumption is contradictory. Finally, the traffic rights granted in June 2025 to Ethiopian and Qatar Airways to offset the European ban end on 1 November 2026: timetable adjustments are possible on domestic flights.
A booked flight with a stopover in a risk country, a strike, a demonstration: in all these cases, the countdown and the insurance for the first point of entry stay the same.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a direct flight from London to Tanzania?
Not at present. British Airways has announced London Gatwick to Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar, three times a week, from 29 May 2027. Until then, flights connect via Istanbul, Doha, Addis Ababa, Dubai or Cairo.
Is there a direct flight from Paris to Tanzania?
Yes, with Air France, which links Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle to Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar on a single flight with a stop. The other airlines connect through a hub.
Which airline for Zanzibar from the UK or Europe?
Air France non-stop from Paris; otherwise Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Ethiopian, flydubai or EgyptAir via their hubs, and seasonal flights from Zurich, Frankfurt or Milan.
Is Air Tanzania banned in Europe?
Yes. Air Tanzania has been on the European Union air safety list since December 2024, and all airlines certified in Tanzania since June 2025. The ban is still in force.
Were flights to Tanzania cancelled during the elections?
Yes, around the vote of 29 October 2025: domestic flights cancelled, some international flights cancelled or delayed, and Emirates suspended its flights to Dar es Salaam for several days.