The new private airline Air Sierra Leone has announced the launch date for its long-awaited direct flights between Freetown and London Gatwick, marking a significant step in the revitalization of the West African country's aviation industry. The first flight is scheduled for April 26 and 27, 2025, with regular commercial operations commencing on June 16, 2025. This service will mark the first direct air connection between Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom in several years.
The new route will be served three times a week with a brand-new 737-seat Boeing 8 MAX 189. Flights depart London Gatwick Airport at 23:00 PM on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and arrive in Freetown at 05:00 AM the following day. Return flights depart Freetown at 09:00 AM on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and arrive in Gatwick at 15:00 PM. The flight time for the approximately 4.865-kilometer route is approximately seven hours.
This announcement comes just three months after Air Sierra Leone successfully launched its three-times-weekly service between Freetown and Lagos, Nigeria, with an Embraer 145. To celebrate the launch of the new London Gatwick route, a joint press conference with the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority and a gala dinner will be held on April 26.
Tickets for the new service are already available through the airline's website, at its headquarters in Freetown, and through authorized travel agencies. The resumption of a direct service to London, home to a significant Sierra Leonean community, is seen as an important step toward improving the country's international connectivity and promoting tourism and economic development.