A UK-BASED startup airline has unveiled its plans to launch its inaugural flight from Scotland this year.
Global Airlines, based in London’s Gatwick Airport, announced its plans to operate a flight from Glasgow Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York this May.
The “special” A380 flights will be operated by Portuguese charter airline Hi Fly, which ferried the airline's superjumbo from Dresden in Germany to Beja in Portugal to allow it to undergo maintenance in January.
The airline said the plane will feature “overhauled” cabins which “give a brand-new look and feel” when passengers make the trip to New York on Thursday, May 15, and then back to Glasgow on Monday, May 19.
A spokesperson for Global said: “It is an exciting time for us all as we see a great deal of work come to fruition as the team at Hi Fly make the final plans to take the Global A380 back into the skies.”
They added: “The catering team has been busy preparing a new menu and there will be special ‘limited edition’ amenity kits in all cabins, for all passengers”.
A pre-sale for VIP tickets for the inaugural flight have already been launched with people able to book their seats in economy, business and first class 24 hours before they are released to the public.
Passengers who decide to travel in business and first class will be offered the chance to book a chauffeur service to the airport, Global confirmed.
“It is an exciting time for us all as we see a great deal of work come to fruition as the team at Hi Fly make the final plans to take the Global A380 back into the skies,” a spokesperson for the company said.
James Asquith founded Global Airlines in 2021 as he aims to begin operations from London to New York City and Los Angeles, using a fleet of four Airbus A380s.
The airline's mission is to take passengers back to the “golden age of travel” by using the Airbus A380, which is the world's largest passenger airliner, and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner.
Global took full ownership of its first A380, formerly operated by China Southern Airlines, in February 2024.
Prior to that, the superjumbo was withdrawn from use and ferried to Mojave Air & Space Port in California in late 2022.
Global Airlines debuted its first A380 in Scotland back in May 2024, after it arrived at Glasgow Prestwick Airport from Mojave via Montreal.
