Global Airlines, a fresh face in transatlantic travel, is set to take off this May. The airline has opened ticket sales for its inaugural flights to a limited group of online users, with plans to expand the offer to the general public soon.
The London-based airline is launching with the world’s largest passenger jet: the Airbus A380, the biggest passenger plane in the world. James Asquith, the airline’s Founder and CEO, is confident that travelers are eager to fill the 550 seats on Global Airlines’ A380-800s.
‘We’re Leading With a Product’
Startup airline Global Airlines is slated to begin operations on 15 May 2025. Utilizing one of two Airbus A380s, the flight will depart Glasgow Airport (GLA) in Scotland at 1100 local time and make its way to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
The first two flights will operate as charter flights rather than scheduled operations. The A380 will return to Scotland four days later, on 19 May. The second A380 will depart Manchester Airport (MAN) on 21 May to JFK, then return on 25 May.
Tickets for the new airline are currently available to select early-bird members. Economy fare seats cost around $900 (£700) per passenger. Promotional materials advertise special amenity kits and gourmet meals for passengers.
While the airline previously promised an established route from London to New York, a schedule for this route has yet to be revealed.
The first flights will occur with the assistance of charter airline Hi Fly Malta. The airline needs the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Air Operator Certificate (AOC) before it can operate and sell tickets independently. As such, tickets will be available only through TravelOpedia Ltd to start.
‘I’ve Risked Everything’
Global Airlines was founded in 2021 by 36-year-old entrepreneur and travel mogul James Asquith. The ’40 Under 40′ businessman set a Guinness World Record by visiting 196 countries by the age of 24. Asquith is also the CEO and founder of the Airbnb-inspired travel site Holiday Swap.
The Independent interviewed Asquith about the upcoming airline and the pressure that comes with maintaining it:
‘It’s been a long road to get here. It’s those crazy kind of last couple of days and weeks looking to enter into service, and it has certainly not been easy…We knew it would be massively challenging. But we persevered, and here we are.’
Aviation experts have criticized Global Airlines’ launching with A380s, noting that British Airways has regularly faced costly problems keeping up with its fleet of 12.
‘No one’s started an airline by owning their aircraft and having the largest aircraft in the world…Everyone said it was impossible. We’ve done every milestone that people said was impossible.’
Asquith believes the high-capacity A380s will be very attractive to travelers, but also added that he has ‘sold and risked everything’ to launch this airline.
‘We’ve got a lot of people that want to fly on what we’re doing at Global. People can be critical, but you’ve got a good bunch of people trying to do something for good reasons here, and we’re almost there.’
Credit: avgeekery.com
