Global Airlines Prepares For A380 Launch

Global Airlines, a startup airline seeking to begin services in 2024 with an all-Airbus A380 fleet, has partnered with HiFly to speed up the jet’s Entry into Service program.

As the pair works together on developing and maintaining the four Airbus A380 aircraft, Global says it has agreed to acquire them. The startup firmly believes that Hi Fly is the perfect one to help speed up the process.

Hi Fly is the only company thus far that has operated a second-hand Airbus A380, with that market all but dead until Global Airlines emerged with their ambitious plans of utilising London Gatwick as a base to launch A380 services right around the globe.

This announcement has been a long time in the making, and I’ve said from the start, we at Global want to work with the best, most experienced partners, and Hi Fly are exactly that.. The great news for us is that the team at Hi Fly know the A380 inside-out and will be invaluable in helping us with their industry knowledge around the maintenance and technical acceptance required for our first aircraft – all crucial steps before work begins on introducing our new interiors and other vital elements of the Global service and passenger proposition.

James Asquith, CEO and Founder of Global Airlines

Global Airlines says that the pair’s short-term focus will be on the EIS and the RTS processes for Global’s first aircraft, which should commence in the months ahead. However, plans are already in place for this collaboration to grow with time. Global cites a shared belief and passion for the aircraft as a key reason behind the partnership.

Hi Fly had a short stint operating the Airbus A380 for charter services and leasing missions. However, it was eventually forced to remove the aircraft due to many issues retaining it. However, Global Airlines has seemed to push past all the criticism and is powering ahead with its launch plans, although there are underlying issues that most would argue need addressing.

With authorisation to fly worldwide and 35,000 flights per year for a base of 140 airlines, Global Airlines is thoroughly excited about this partnership with Hi Fly and the future opportunities ahead.