Getting to Zanzibar: Flights, Routes, and Airlines

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Flights to Zanzibar look straightforward until you check your own country’s options, since direct routes exist from some regions and not remotely from others.

Search “flights to Zanzibar” in July and you’ll find a very different airline list than if you search in February. A lot of the routes into Zanzibar’s Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) are seasonal — built around the European winter-sun market or a specific charter program — while a smaller core runs year-round. Knowing which category a given flight falls into before you get attached to a price is the single most useful thing a “how to get to Zanzibar” guide can tell you, so that’s how this one is organized: by where you’re flying from, with each route flagged as year-round or seasonal. For the logistics of getting here, see airport transfer options.

This covers getting from your home region to the island. If you’re already in Tanzania and wondering about the Dar es Salaam hop, the Arusha safari route, or flying on to Pemba, our guide on flying between Zanzibar and the mainland covers those domestic and regional legs in detail.

Flights to Zanzibar: From Europe

Year-round: Air France flies Paris–Charles de Gaulle direct, KLM flies Amsterdam direct, and Turkish Airlines flies Istanbul direct — these three are the closest thing to a dependable, bookable-any-month European connection to the island, with Turkish Airlines’ Istanbul hub also functioning as a connecting point from dozens of other European cities if you’re not near Paris or Amsterdam.

Seasonal (built around European winter and summer travel windows): Condor and Discover Airlines from Frankfurt, Edelweiss Air from Zurich, Neos charter flights from several Italian cities (Milan–Malpensa, Rome–Fiumicino, Bologna, Catania, Verona) plus Prague, LOT Polish Airlines charters from Prague and Warsaw, Hi Fly from Lisbon, World2Fly from Madrid, and a cluster of Russian carriers (Azur Air, Nordwind Airlines) connecting Moscow and several other Russian cities. None of these should be assumed available outside their advertised season — check current schedules rather than planning around a flight you saw mentioned once.

Coming but not yet flying (as of October 2026): British Airways has announced a London–Gatwick route starting 27 May 2027, and Air Tanzania has announced its own London–Gatwick service starting 1 July 2027. Until those dates, there is no direct UK flight — UK travelers currently route through a hub (see below).

From the Middle East and Gulf

Qatar Airways (Doha), Oman Air (Muscat), and flydubai (Dubai) run year-round and are the most practical connecting options if you’re not near one of the European year-round routes above — all three hubs have strong onward connections from a wide range of origin countries, making them the default “just connect through here” choice for travelers outside Europe and Africa. Etihad Airways runs Abu Dhabi–Zanzibar seasonally (four weekly flights confirmed for 14 June to 6 September 2026 for the 2026 season), and Israir and Arkia run seasonal service from Tel Aviv.

From Africa

This is where most of Zanzibar’s actual flight volume lives, since it’s the natural stopover point for safari travelers and the hub for regional business and tourism traffic. Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa) and Kenya Airways (Nairobi) both run year-round and are useful if you’re coming from outside Africa too, since Addis Ababa and Nairobi are both major long-haul hubs in their own right. Precision Air and Air Tanzania also serve the Nairobi route. Airlink connects Johannesburg year-round, with a new Cape Town route announced to start 3 October 2026, and charter carriers FlySafair and Global Aviation also run Johannesburg service. EgyptAir has announced a Cairo route starting 4 September 2026. Rwandair (Kigali), Uganda Airlines (Entebbe), and Malawi Airlines (Lilongwe) round out the smaller regional connections, and several smaller carriers (Fly540, Jambojet, Safarilink, Auric Air) connect Zanzibar to Mombasa, Kigali, and Entebbe on top of the mainline options.

If There’s No Direct Flight From Your Country

For most of North America, most of Asia, and large parts of Europe outside the handful of direct routes above, the practical answer is a one-stop connection through one of four hubs: Doha, Dubai, Istanbul, or Addis Ababa. All four have same-day onward connections to Zanzibar and strong long-haul networks reaching back to most major cities worldwide, which makes comparing fares across these four hubs — rather than searching “flights to Zanzibar” directly and hoping a good routing surfaces — the more reliable way to find a workable itinerary. the ferry-vs-flight breakdown covers exactly how to make that journey.

What You’ll Deal With on Arrival

Zanzibar’s airport runs three terminals, though only two are active: Terminal 3, which opened in 2021, handles international arrivals, while Terminal 2 handles domestic flights and some additional international routes (Terminal 1 is now just an administrative office, not used for passengers). Before you land, make sure you’ve sorted your Tanzania e-visa and Zanzibar’s mandatory ZIC travel insurance — our Zanzibar visa guide and our Zanzibar with kids guide (which covers the current ZIC pricing by age) both go into the specifics, and arriving without either can mean delays or problems at immigration.

FAQ

Is there a direct flight from the US to Zanzibar?
No — there is currently no direct flight from North America. The practical route is a one-stop connection through Doha, Dubai, Istanbul, or Addis Ababa, comparing fares across all four rather than assuming one is automatically cheapest.

When does the UK get a direct flight to Zanzibar?
Two have been announced: British Airways from London–Gatwick starting 27 May 2027, and Air Tanzania also from London–Gatwick starting 1 July 2027. Until then, UK travelers connect through a hub like the rest of the routes without direct service.

Which airlines fly to Zanzibar year-round, versus only seasonally?
Air France, KLM, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Oman Air, flydubai, Ethiopian Airlines, and Kenya Airways are the core year-round options. Most of the charter and seasonal carriers (Condor, Edelweiss, Neos, the Russian carriers, Etihad’s Abu Dhabi route) run only during specific windows tied to European or Gulf travel seasons — always check current schedules rather than assuming a seasonal route you saw mentioned is still running.

Is it better to fly directly into Zanzibar or connect through Dar es Salaam?
It depends on your starting point and the fare — Dar es Salaam has a larger international network than Zanzibar, so for some origins, flying into Dar and taking the short domestic hop over (covered in our Zanzibar-to-mainland flights guide) works out cheaper or more convenient than hunting for a direct Zanzibar routing.

Do I need a visa before I fly, or can I get one on arrival?
Tanzania’s e-visa system is the standard route and is generally arranged before travel rather than on arrival — see our Zanzibar visa guide for the current process and requirements.