British Airways adds Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar from Gatwick, plus a nonstop to Buenos Aires
A three-times-weekly Gatwick–Kilimanjaro–Zanzibar triangle runs May 29 to Oct. 31, 2027 on a 777 with Club World. Buenos Aires goes nonstop and Cape Town gets more flights.
British Airways is returning to Tanzania next summer with two destinations on one routing. Flights leave London Gatwick, stop in Kilimanjaro, continue to Zanzibar and fly back to Gatwick. The airline announced the route on Sept. 17, according to its announcement.
The schedule#
BA2163 runs from May 29 to Oct. 31, 2027:
- Gatwick to Kilimanjaro: Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, departing 09:05 and arriving 20:20
- Kilimanjaro to Zanzibar: same days, departing 21:20 and arriving 22:25
- Zanzibar to Gatwick: Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, departing 00:25 and arriving 07:55
The aircraft is a Boeing 777 with Club World, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller. BA advertises return fares from £849.
The triangle routing means you can fly out to Kilimanjaro for a safari and home from Zanzibar after a beach stay, or the reverse, without backtracking. Safari-first travelers will want the Gatwick departure; beach-first travelers can book into Zanzibar on the same flight after the short hop from Kilimanjaro.
Before you fly#
The flight leaves from Gatwick, so you'll use BA's lounges in the South Terminal. Both sit on the mezzanine level after security. Take the passageway on the left just before the down escalators to duty free and follow the lounge signs.
Our users rate the Club Lounge (South) 4.9 out of 5, among the highest scores in our directory. It opened in 2022 when BA consolidated its Gatwick operation in the South Terminal. It has runway views, QR-code food ordering, a kids' playroom, a mezzanine seating area, a full bar and two showers, and runs daily from 5:00 to 20:30. Club World passengers get in but can't bring guests. British Airways Club Silver and Gold members and oneworld Sapphire and Emerald members can bring one guest flying oneworld the same day.
The First Lounge (South) shares the same entrance and is a status lounge. BA doesn't fly a First cabin from Gatwick, so it's for British Airways Club Gold and oneworld Emerald members only. It offers table-service dining, a buffet and a spirits bar, but our users rate it lower, at 3.5.
Sapphire and Emerald are the oneworld tiers that match British Airways Club Silver and Gold, so status earned with American, Qatar Airways or another oneworld airline works the same way at the door.
If you don't have status#
World Traveller Plus and World Traveller passengers without status can still find a lounge in the South Terminal. Our directory lists four that take Priority Pass, DragonPass or LoungeKey: the No1 Lounge (South), rated 4.9 with two showers; the Club Aspire Lounge (South), which also has a shower; My Lounge (South); and Clubrooms (South), which serves cocktails. No1 and My Lounge sit alongside the BA lounges on the same mezzanine.
With a 09:05 departure, either BA lounge will be open for more than three hours before boarding.
Timing matters for the First Lounge: it closes at 20:30 like the Club lounge, which is fine for the morning Tanzania departure but rules it out for BA's late Gatwick flights.
The return leg#
The Zanzibar departure is a red-eye at 00:25, landing at Gatwick at 07:55. A lounge before that flight would be welcome, but BA's release doesn't mention lounge arrangements in Tanzania, and our directory has no Zanzibar or Kilimanjaro lounges listed yet. We'll add them when BA confirms what it will use.
If you have status, the wider oneworld picture helps. Qatar Airways, a oneworld partner, serves Zanzibar from Doha, which we covered in our Qatar Airways winter 2026 network story. That gives oneworld travelers another option this winter, ahead of BA's start.
The rest of BA's summer 2027 changes#
These start March 28, 2027:
- Buenos Aires: goes nonstop and daily, with a tag to Santiago.
- Rio de Janeiro: becomes its own daily route, so it gets more seats.
- San José, Costa Rica: becomes year-round, three times a week.
- Cape Town: rises to 10 flights a week.
- Las Vegas: rises to 14 flights a week.
- Barbados: Gatwick–Barbados becomes year-round.
The Buenos Aires change is the biggest for South American travelers. Until now, the flight routed through São Paulo; the nonstop shortens the journey and the new Santiago tag keeps Chile on the map.
How it fits with BA's other moves#
The Tanzania launch is one of several network and ground changes BA has announced this year. The airline is rebuilding its Newark lounge for a 2027 reopening, redesigning its Heathrow Terminal 5 lounges, and returning to Melbourne in January. Its winter 2026 schedule adds U.S. and Caribbean flying and Colombo. For the full lounge list, see our British Airways page.
Gatwick itself rates 2.7 overall with our users, with the South Terminal at 2.8, so a lounge makes more difference here than at some airports.
Fares for the Tanzania flights are on sale now for travel from May 29, 2027.
My take#
The nonstop to Buenos Aires is the change I'd weigh most heavily if it removes a stop from my trip. For Tanzania, I'd compare the full itinerary and time on the ground before choosing between the new options.
Related reading#
Cite this article
Patrick Karsh. “British Airways adds Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar from Gatwick, plus a nonstop to Buenos Aires.” Lounge Frog. Published 2026-10-06. Updated 2026-10-14. https://www.loungefrog.com/news/british-airways-kilimanjaro-zanzibar-summer-2027
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