Global Airlines? Maybe!
Initial Global Airlines A380 in original livery. You can see the China Southern livery underneath.
Welcome back to Brooke In The Air! Today we’re going over the enigmatic airline that isn’t.
What we know:
Global Airlines is a startup airline with an all-A380 fleet that is supposed to redefine luxury travel for the average to slightly above average consumer, based in London, and founded by a YouTuber, James Asquith. Global Airlines was supposed to have their first flight last year but everything has been postponed until at least this year (2025). They do have two of their massive A380s delivered and essentially ready for flight, livery aside. They were originally supposed to feature a Gamer Class on-board but this has been canceled after evaluation and refitted as a standard Premium Economy offering.
What has been confirmed so far:
Global Airlines is supposed to fly, in late 2025, from their base at London-Gatwick, to New York-JFK and Los Angeles-LAX and back.
The fleet will consist of 4 used/previously owned Airbus A380 aircraft in a mixed 3 or 4 class configuration.
Global announced, in 2023, that Mr. Richard Stephensson, former head of the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority for 6 years, is Global’s new Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Claims to be the first new A380 owner in eight years.
Wants to compete with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, as the UK’s newest full-service carrier.
All aircraft will be operated by the charter operator HiFly, based in Malta with their parent company based in Portugal.
One A380 has been acquired (originally operated by China Southern Airways, registered as 9H-GLOBL) and registered, one has just been acquired from Singapore Airlines, two remain to be purchased.
In November of 2023, Global Airlines announced a supplier partnership for a refurbishment program which is set to commence on the airline's first aircraft in January of 2024, two months later.
Global A380 mockup from their website
Existing experts are few and far between but the experts include chief commercial officer Richard Stephenson, whose contributions to commercial aviation earned him an O.B.E. from Queen Elizabeth II. Kevin Billings, a former assistant secretary of the U.S. Air Force, is the executive chair of Global’s advisory board. Other members include veteran fighter pilots and executives who have left other airlines but remain unnamed. Apparently, the A380’s 5,500 square feet of cabin space is a primary way Asquith plans to bring back that special experience, but with a modern twist. Global aircraft will have a spacious 1-2-1 configuration in First and Business Class, more room in Economy than conventional airlines, and elevated service across classes.
There will also be amenity kits in Economy as well as door-to-door chauffeured service for First and Business class passengers.
They promise incredible food but provide absolutely no details.
A380 AI generated tail view from Global’s site.
Global has the customer in mind apparently and aims to redefine aviation, but I and other analysts have serious doubts. There is no aviation expert in the C-Suite. Global., based at London-Gatwick Airport, has no idea what its doing. No food servicer, no maintenance system in place, 3rd party contractors as pilots (HiFly Inc.) and using the most massive aircraft available.
As detractors put it succinctly, That’s all very nice but most likely unattainable, according to Asquith’s doubters. The A380 has a number of drawbacks, the biggest being that many airports simply can’t accommodate them. “They’re limited in where they can go,” CBS travel editor Peter Greenberg tells Robb Report. “And in order to be profitable, the aircraft has to be 80 percent full all of the time.” He concludes, operational costs, adds Greenberg, could also prove to be a large financial impediment to a startup airline. British Airways currently operates 12 A380’s, a relatively small fleet. “And recently, four out of those 12 were down for unscheduled maintenance, which means cancelled flights and lost revenue,” he says. Other aviation analysts also cite gate availability, ground operations, and a cost-effective reservation system as factors that leave them skeptical about Global’s prospects. Some have argued that the airline will never get off the ground.
