Flights to Bulawayo
Which airport to land at, how far each is from the centre, and where the routes go. Live fares are booked here.
Bulawayo is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport (BUQ), 15 km (9 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 8,491 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
| Airport | Code | From centre | Longest runway | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport | BUQ | 15 km (9 mi) | 8,491 ft | 4,359 ft |
Runway length is a practical tell: at 8,491 ft, BUQ handles short and medium-haul aircraft, so a long-haul trip will connect somewhere else first. The airport sits at 4,359 ft; that altitude thins the air enough to affect take-off performance on hot days, which is why summer departures from high airports are sometimes weight-restricted.
Book a flight to Bulawayo
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Routes to and from Bulawayo
Straight-line distance and an estimated block time for the city pairs people search for most. Each opens a page with both ends’ airports, the time-zone shift and what changes on arrival.
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulawayo to Johannesburg | South Africa | 675 km (420 mi) | about 1 h 37 min |
| Bulawayo to Durban | South Africa | 1,107 km (688 mi) | about 2 h 10 min |
| Bulawayo to Lubumbashi | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 951 km (591 mi) | about 1 h 58 min |
| Bulawayo to Lusaka | Zambia | 528 km (328 mi) | about 1 h 26 min |
| Bulawayo to Pretoria | South Africa | 623 km (387 mi) | about 1 h 33 min |
| Bulawayo to Soweto | South Africa | 684 km (425 mi) | about 1 h 38 min |
| Bulawayo to Harare | Zimbabwe | 366 km (228 mi) | about 1 h 13 min |
| Bulawayo to Maputo | Mozambique | 765 km (475 mi) | about 1 h 44 min |
| Bulawayo to Matola | Mozambique | 758 km (471 mi) | about 1 h 43 min |
| Bulawayo to Lilongwe | Malawi | 882 km (548 mi) | about 1 h 53 min |
| Bulawayo to Blantyre | Malawi | 835 km (519 mi) | about 1 h 49 min |
| Bulawayo to Soshanguve | South Africa | 594 km (369 mi) | about 1 h 31 min |
| Bulawayo to Pietermaritzburg | South Africa | 1,068 km (664 mi) | about 2 h 7 min |
| Bulawayo to Kolwezi | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1,101 km (684 mi) | about 2 h 10 min |
| Bulawayo to Nampula | Mozambique | 1,262 km (784 mi) | about 2 h 22 min |
| Bulawayo to Evaton | South Africa | 714 km (443 mi) | about 1 h 40 min |
| Bulawayo to Beira | Mozambique | 654 km (407 mi) | about 1 h 35 min |
| Bulawayo to Kitwe | Zambia | 818 km (508 mi) | about 1 h 48 min |
| Bulawayo to Ndola | Zambia | 800 km (497 mi) | about 1 h 47 min |
| Bulawayo to Benoni | South Africa | 672 km (418 mi) | about 1 h 37 min |
| Bulawayo to Bloemfontein | South Africa | 1,026 km (637 mi) | about 2 h 4 min |
| Bulawayo to Mbeya | Tanzania | 1,356 km (842 mi) | about 2 h 29 min |
| Bulawayo to São Paulo | Brazil | 7,681 km (4,772 mi) | about 10 h 36 min |
| Bulawayo to Jakarta | Indonesia | 8,548 km (5,311 mi) | about 11 h 43 min |
| Bulawayo to Lima | Peru | 11,130 km (6,916 mi) | about 15 h 1 min |
| Bulawayo to Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 7,353 km (4,569 mi) | about 10 h 11 min |
| Bulawayo to Sydney | Australia | 11,475 km (7,130 mi) | about 15 h 28 min |
| Bulawayo to Dar es Salaam | Tanzania | 1,877 km (1,166 mi) | about 3 h 9 min |
| Bulawayo to Santiago | Chile | 9,598 km (5,964 mi) | about 13 h 3 min |
| Bulawayo to Cape Town | South Africa | 1,830 km (1,137 mi) | about 3 h 6 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Common questions
Which airport should I fly into for Bulawayo?
Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport (BUQ) is the closest large airport at 15 km (9 mi). It is the only one with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How far is BUQ from Bulawayo city centre?
15 km (9 mi) in a straight line; the road or rail distance is somewhat longer.
Can I book flights to Bulawayo on this site?
Very soon: our airline partner is switching live fares on for this site. Hotels can be booked now.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.