Global Airlines, after three years finally gets first plane. But ... it has the livery of China Southern
Global Airlines, slow ahead. A few days ago, specialized commercial aviation media broke the news of the first flight [...]
Global Airlines, forward slowly. A few days ago, media specializing in commercial aviation spread the news of the First flight of a British airline's Airbus A380..
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The headlines clashed, however, with the image of the plane: a Superjumbo not with the tail, part of the fuselage and the huge 'Global' lettering on the sides, but in full China Southern Airlines livery which has reached Scotland's Prestwick airport after a flight from the Mojave Desert, where the Chinese company had parked it last December.
The transfer, among other things, required a stopover in Montreal since as a matter of maintenance A380 had to fly from California to Scotland with all the bogies (and those on the A380 are indeed many). lowered, thus proceeding at reduced speed and consuming much more fuel than would have been necessary with the bogies retracted.
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The ferry flight was operated by pilots reporting to Hi Fly, the Maltese company specializing in Acmi operations (i.e., providing other air carriers with crew, maintenance, and insurance package) to which Global Airlines intends to entrust the operations of its A380s.
Last October, the Aviation Week website had reported on. an agreement signed by Global with JETMS, a British company specializing in upgrading aircraft interiors. The company is based at Biggin Hill, an airport near London. So we could say that by the time the A380, registered 9H-GLOBL, leaves Scotland for Biggin Hill, perhaps Global Airlines will cease to be a 'paper' airline and turn into something more concrete.
In the past three years, since it was founded by entrepreneur James Asquith, Global has in fact hired manager, circulated a few renderings and announced that he intends to fly between London, New York and Los Angeles with A fleet of 4 A380s in three classes (First, Business and Economy) equipped for 471 passengers.
The last 'operational' news (before the ferry flight last May 1) was in February, when Global announced that it had concluded An agreement with the Vip Blacklane transportation company for a chauffeur service from home to the airports it will serve (and in the reverse direction, of course). dedicated to its first and business class passengers, also emphasizing that it is "the only company based in Europe and North America to offer this type of service."
Nearly a year ago, the airline announced that it had purchased its first A380, an ex-Singapore Airlines which, however, never made it to the UK, of which a photo in partial Global Airlines livery had even been leaked.
Last February company to 're-announce' purchase of its first aircraft, the one that then actually arrived in Scotland a few days ago. In short, so far much smoke, little fire, and even some confusion. The debut of the flights, originally planned for spring 2024, has now been Postponed to the end of the year-early 2025.
