At 11.34am on Thursday, 15 May, a new British airline took off on its maiden flight. A giant Airbus A380 plane in the colours of Global Airlines has lifted off from Glasgow Airport in Scotland, destination New York JFK.
The flight was due to leave at 11am, but was pushed back 13 minutes late, and along with further delay on the taxiway, the Airbus A380 took off over half an hour behind schedule. But thanks to a fast flight time, it is expected to arrive on schedule in New York at 1pm.
The founder, businessman James Asquith, has pledged to “take passengers back to the Golden Age of Travel, reinvigorating the onboard experience with elevated service” between the UK and US.
Asquith, 36, promises a new era of flying, saying: “People are sick and tired of the service they get on current airlines. We will be better.”
But not everyone agrees that a newcomer flying a very large aircraft in a very crowded market is what the world needs. Global Airlines owns the double-deck A380 – the world’s largest passenger plane – across the North Atlantic.
Initially return economy fares were set at nearly £800 – but with slow sales, prices have been more than halved. Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent at The Independent, bought a ticket for the inaugural departure (at the higher price) and has been reporting from Glasgow Airport, and will give his verdict after landing.
Key Points
- Flight departed Glasgow Airport for New York JFK at 11.34am
- Founder James Asquith promises "the best experience in the sky today”
- Flight will take place on the double-decker Airbus A380
- Global Airlines moves its passengers on to the upper deck
- Free of charge business class upgrades
In pictures: Global Airlines' Airbus A380 before take-off at Glasgow
17:00 , Amelia NeathThe maiden Global Airlines flight to New York departed Glasgow at 11.34am this morning.
It is due to land at 1pm EDT in New York (6pm BST).
The launch aircraft is operated by the Maltese subsidiary of a Portuguese carrier, Hi Fly, and has the registration 9H-GLOBL.
The plane has a three-class seating configuration, accommodating more economy-class passengers than on A380s operated by British Airways.
Here is its LOPA (layout of passenger accommodation) below:
- First: 8
- Business: 70
- Premium economy: nil
- Economy (“Global Traveller”): 428
- Total: 506
How much has it cost to launch Global Airlines
16:30 , Simon CalderGlobal Airlines is not saying, but it is fair to say tens of millions of pounds have been invested in the enterprise so far.
James Asquith told The Independent: “I’ve sold and risked everything to be in the position I’m at. I’m putting everything on the line.”
The rumour among airport staff is that food and drink for the inaugural flight that has taken off from Glasgow cost £40,000. The Independent has asked Global Airlines to confirm or correct this figure.
Prices slashed in half for tickets ahead of departure
16:00 , Amelia NeathGlobal Airlines reduced prices by half for its inaugural transatlantic passenger flights, with promotional codes introduced around two weeks after seats first went on sale.
The airline announced a flash sale for its first passenger journeys to New York, including today’s departure from Glasgow and its Manchester flight scheduled on 21 May.
The airline’s Instagram states that passengers can book “a spontaneous escape to the Big Apple” from the two UK cities to New York on return flights at £380 when using promo code GLOBAL380.
Discounts are also available on business class seats for £1,999 return when using the promo code GLOBAL1999.
When the tickets went on sale before the promo codes were introduced, and when the code is not applied, economy return tickets from Glasgow are priced at around £778 return and £696 from Manchester.
Simon Calder wrote: “I paid the full economy fare of £778 return, but already prices have been halved to £380 to try to fill the first departures.”
Read more below:
New UK airline slashes transatlantic flight prices in half ahead of inaugural trip
What's on the menu?
15:30 , Simon CalderThe drinks menu aboard the A380, now en route to New York after departing at 11.34am.
'Everyone said it was impossible' CEO said before first flight
15:00 , Amelia NeathAhead of the launch, founder and chief executive James Asquith said the process has been “massively challenging”, but they have continued to hit every milestone.
Speaking to The Independent in April, with over a month and a half to go before the inaugural flight, Mr Asquith said: “I’m feeling good. 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.
“No one’s done this before,” he said. “When’s the last time a new airline’s come to the market that said. ‘We’re leading with a product’?
“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.”
Read more below:
New airline to ‘revolutionise’ transatlantic flights ready for take-off
Where is the flight right now?
14:37 , Amelia NeathFlight 3L380 / HFM380 left Glasgow Airport at 11.34am, and has since made its way out over the Atlantic, tracking data from FlightRadar24 shows.
Crew ahead of take off
14:30 , Amelia NeathThe Global Airlines’ crew at Glasgow ahead of take-off.
The flight departed at 11.34am, and is expected to arrive on schedule at 1pm EDT in New York.
Global Airlines' future plans? "Who knows?"
14:00 , Amelia NeathDuring an interview with Talk ahead of the flight this morning, James Asquith, CEO and founder of Global Airlines, spoke to Simon Calder about the mood in the room ahead of the inaugural flight.
“I'm feeling great. I think a lot of positivity since, well, you didn't believe this would happen. So here we are,” he told Simon.
When asked what the plans are after the first two journeys from Glasgow today, and another set for 21 May from Manchester to New York, Mr Asquith replied: “Who knows?”
“Who knows what happens tomorrow? Who knows? We'll see.
“Look, everyone said we won't get this far right, including yourself. So let's see.”
“I think we've been pretty open, transparent with the journey, the difficulties, the problems, the challenges, so now we'll see what happens next.
“Maybe we'll turn the aircraft into a spa next,” he joked.
Inside the Global Airlines' 'Sky Pub'
13:30 , Amelia NeathAhead of the departure, CEO and founder of Global Airlines, James Asquith, has been taking to social media to show the aircraft’s very own ‘pub’ in the sky.
“A fun idea that we came up with, and this is, in my opinion the best thing about the extra space that the A380 affords you,” Mr Asquith wrote on 20 April.
“We will certainly add more as we go, but for anyone that is familiar with Major Mods on an aircraft, you’re looking at many years to certify bigger social spaces and bars, so we will develop our social spaces even more when we have more aircraft in the sky…it’s all bit by bit progression .”
Up in the air
13:00 , Amelia NeathSimon Calder’s view from his seat aboard Global Airlines’ maiden flight.
Flight HFM380 is expected to land in New York on schedule at 1pm EDT.
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Flight on track
12:25 , Amelia NeathFlight 3L380 / HFM380 has made its way out of Glasgow and is crossing over the Atlantic.
A message from Global Airlines CEO James Asquith
12:02 , Simon CalderJames Asquith, CEO and Founder of Global Airlines, shares a message to passengers ahead of the airline’s first flight
On the way
11:42 , Simon CalderThe first transatlantic passenger flight on an aircraft belonging to Global Airlines pushed back 13 minutes late.
There was a further delay on the taxiway before the Airbus A380 took off at 11.34am.
But thanks to a fast flight time, it is expected to arrive on schedule in New York at 1pm.
Staff getting ready for take-off
11:12 , Simon CalderCabin crew member and captain ahead of Global Airline's inaugural flight take-off.
Empty quarter
11:09 , Simon CalderThe main deck of the aircraft.
Around 170 of the 506 seats on board are believed to be occupied by passengers.
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More room on top
11:02 , Simon CalderAt the gate, my boarding pass for seat 52F has been swapped for 73K.
"We're seating everyone on the upper deck," the ground staff member explained.
Some airlines, including China Southern (previous owner of the Global Airlines aircraft) and British Airways, fit some economy seats on the upper deck of the Airbus A380.
With only around one-third of seats sold or given away, it makes sense to keep all the economy passengers together to make meal service easier.
Tall tale
10:53 , Simon CalderDerek Steell, 60, retired civil servant, has been given an upgrade from economy to business class.
He said: “I’m 6ft 4in. Usually, when we go with British Airways, we go in premium economy.
“I mentioned it to the check-in girl and asked if I could pay for an upgrade.
“She called somebody over and they authorised it for me and my wife, free of charge.”
Where else are passengers flying this morning?
10:40 , Simon CalderTravellers who prefer not to risk a tough time with US Customs and Border Protection can choose from a wide range of other destinations from Glasgow airport this morning.
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Food and drink is loaded onto the aircraft ahead of departure
10:37 , Simon CalderWith 25 minutes to go before departure, catering is still being loaded onto the aircraft. The rumour among airport staff is that food and drink for the inaugural flight cost £40,000.
The Independent has asked Global Airlines to confirm or correct this figure.
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Heading through duty-free
10:25 , Simon CalderStaff at duty-free at Glasgow Airport, not exactly overstretched.
Check in closes for Global Airlines' maiden flight
10:10 , Simon CalderCheck in has now closed at Glasgow. A total of 170 passengers are believed to be on board the flight.
That is one third of the total passenger capacity of the Airbus A380 belonging to Global Airlines.
Ground staff are now preparing for the arrival of Glasgow’s only scheduled A380, flying in for Emirates from Dubai.
£2,999 for a business class ticket
09:32 , Simon CalderThe aviation and travel vlogger Noel Philips paid £2,999 for a business class ticket, but on checking in found he had been upgraded to first for the Global Airlines flight from Glasgow airport to New York.
Mr Philips, 44, is British but now lives in Magnolia, Texas. “I came over on Icelander and I literally got in last night and then I'm flying back today,” he told The Independent. “I’m going back home on the first flight of the Global A380 and it's super-exciting.”
Referring to Global Airlines founder James Asquith, he said: “This guy who set this airline up is a man with a dream. It’s the classic underdog story – he started with a plane and not much else and nobody thought he would get to this point. I didn't think he would get to this point, and here we are, literally, a plane-full of passengers about to get on board an Airbus A380 and fly to New York. It's incredible.
“They mean business. Even though it's only a charter, it's actually showing that actually there is something going on here.”
When pressed about whether he would invest in Global Airlines, he said: “I wouldn't put my own money into this airline other than buying a ticket.
“There’s a bridge I can sell you, potentially."
I was actually, a little bit nervous about buying a ticket, if I'm honest. But you know what? They’re here and it’s going, and at least I’ve not lost the three grand I put down on my ticket.”
A touch of class
09:22 , Simon CalderThe travel journalism aristocracy has now shown up at Global Airlines check-in at Glasgow airport: my former colleague, Cathy Adams, senior commissioning travel editor for The Times and the Sunday Times.
‘I'm expecting the operation to go a little rocky at first’ says passenger
09:16 , Simon CalderAmong the first to check in: father and son William and Kyle Schmidt, who have flown from their home in California for the launch.
“We've been looking forward to this flight for quite some time,” said William, 57. "I found it interesting because it's an all-A380 airline – and they have a good model of wanting to do nice classes of service,” said Kyle, 15. “I'm expecting it to be a nice cabin – they just reupholstered it. I'm expecting the operation to go a little rocky at first, but then work themselves.”
The pair are planning to return to Glasgow on the same aircraft on Monday 19 May before flying home.
Check-in opens for Global Airlines
08:51 , Simon CalderPassengers are now checking in for the first transatlantic flight by a Global Airlines aircraft – from Glasgow airport to New York JFK.
Dozens of passengers are lined up for Hi Fly flight HFM 380. An arch made of red, white and blue balloons has been set up, and cupcakes to celebrate the event are being handed out.
There is a single desk for each class: economy ("Global Traveller"), business and first – just along from the Aer Lingus check-in desk for Cork.
Throwback Thursday
08:46 , Simon CalderLooking back two years to when Global Airlines bought its first Airbus A380, the chief executive and founder, James Asquith, said: “The purchase of our first aircraft demonstrates that we are well on the way to launching Global. The next step is to overhaul and refit the aircraft to our high specification, providing our customers with the best experience in the sky today.”
Has the super jumbo jet finally found a second life?
At the time I wrote: "I wish Global Airlines well, but I fear the operation will simply burn through tens of millions of investors’ funds without getting off the ground. I hope I am wrong."
How do Global Airlines’ finances and flight arrangements stack up?
08:20 , Simon CalderThe founding principle of the carrier appears to be this: passengers love the Airbus A380, and you can pick up secondhand “SuperJumbo” aircraft really cheaply. Put those two facts together, add an “onboard experience with elevated service” and you’re in business.
Global Airlines is majority owned by an online accommodation platform called Holiday Swap, which itself has James Asquith – the founder and chief executive of the carrier – as the main shareholder. There are other backers. So far Global Airlines has incurred tens of millions of pounds in costs, and the transatlantic flights this month are certain to cost hundreds of thousands – if not millions – more.
Global Airlines owns the first operational aircraft, 9H-GLOBL, but is paying the Maltese subsidiary of the Portuguese airline, Hi Fly, to operate the transatlantic trips. Tickets are being sold by a Slough-based travel agent, Travelopedia. The carrier cannot offer ordinary scheduled tickets; these are strictly charter seats, covered by an Atol.
A senior aviation insider with many years at a leading “legacy carrier” said: “The price of pre-owned A380s are simply what the market thinks they’re worth. If it’s low, then there’s I good reason! I don’t think James has discovered some magic hack. Emirates owns most of them, and the value of old A380s now is really as parts. Even if he bought them 'cheap' there's still maintenance. Old aircraft need expensive time-consuming maintenance.
“Presumably this month's charter ops are just for show - to demonstrate to investors that something is happening – but it would be challenging to actually make any money off charter flights in this manner and at this time. James may think he's found the magic money tree. He's yet to demonstrate it.”
What’s the plane?
08:05 , Simon CalderGlobal Airlines owns two European-built Airbus A380s. The one that is serviceable is 12 years old, with one previous operator, China Southern. The other, a 16-year-old SuperJumbo formerly flown by Singapore Airlines, is still stored at Lourdes in southwest France.
The launch aircraft has the registration 9H-GLOBL. It has the same three-class seating configuration as it did when China Southern flew it between Guangzhou and Los Angeles, Amsterdam and Sydney.In its “LOPA” (layout of passenger accommodation). Global Airlines is more economy-heavy than British Airways, and can therefore accommodate more passengers.
Compare Global Airlines with the BA A380 LOPA:
First: 8 (14 on BA)
Business: 70 (97 on BA)
Premium economy: nil (55 on BA)
Economy (“Global Traveller”): 428 (303 on BA)
Total: 506 (469 on BA)
“Gamer class”, which was to be located and priced between business and premium economy, does not now feature on the Global Airlines aircraft.
As with British Airways, some economy passengers are able to travel on the upper deck of the Airbus A380; 76 cheap seats are up top, with 352 on the main (lower) deck.
Is Global Airlines’ founder James Asquith the new Richard Branson?
07:45 , Simon CalderThe founder of Global Airlines, James Asquith, has been compared to Richard Branson when he launched Virgin Atlantic four decades ago.
There certainly are some similarities. Like Richard Branson in the 1980s, Global Airlines’ founder is a rich and successful young man in his mid-30s vowing to improve the passenger experience on transatlantic flights to New York using the largest available secondhand plane.
But there are some important differences. Virgin Atlantic flights were for sale direct from the airline by phone, through travel agents and even at Virgin Records stores (they were big in the 20th century). From day one, Virgin Atlantic had a scheduled operation between London Gatwick and New York Newark. You could stay in the US for a day or a month, or simply fly one way.
Global Airlines has only four transatlantic flights planned. These are fixed-duration charters, operated by the Maltese subsidiary of a Portuguese airline, Hi Fly, and bookable through a Slough-based travel agent called Travelopedia. The new carrier does not have the necessary permits or slots for scheduled service to the US.
Virgin Atlantic was launched at a time when the appeal of America to British travellers was soaring. But currently existing transatlantic airlines including British Airways are reporting “soft” bookings for holiday flights to the US – following President Trump’s demand that all arriving “aliens seeking admission to the United States” should be “vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible”.
Four decades on, Virgin Atlantic is still going. It remains to be seen if Global Airlines will be around for the next 40 years.
‘Why give people a hard time for trying something?’
07:10 , Simon Calder“We should allow Global Airlines’ founder James Asquith his moment in the sun”: so says Rob Burgess, founder of the Head for Points frequent-flyer website.
He told The Independent: “A lot of start ups never actually make it to first flight, so credit for that.
“It is all private money, no crowdfunding, so why give people a hard time for trying something? There are many logical reasons why they are doomed to failure.”
Global Airlines is the topic of a post on Head for Points today, in which Mr Burgess writes: “Global has no Plan B, I suspect. If the A380 has a mechanical issue, there is no spare aircraft and the maintenance businesses at Glasgow are unlikely to be well stocked with A380 parts.
“Whilst it’s easy to pick holes in their project, the truth is that the majority of start-up airlines never even make it to their first flight. Who remembers our coverage of Hans Airways, which wanted to fly from Birmingham to India, or Fly Atlantic, which planned transatlantic services from Belfast?
“Whilst there is a heck of a long way to go to turn two test flights into a regular scheduled service, the Global Airlines project is still moving.
“We wish James and his team good luck.”
What is Global Airlines promising that other airlines aren’t offering?
06:53 , Simon CalderThe founder, James Asquith, promises it will be: “The best experience in the sky today.” Global Airlines’ promotional pitch is: “We’ve all suffered for far too long with long security queues, late flights, lost luggage, inedible food and constant poor customer service”.
Instead, passengers today can look forward to “joy at every interaction and delight at every touch point”.
In addition, no other airline will fly you from the UK to New York on an Airbus A380 – a passenger favourite. Many prefer the double-decker jet because of the sense of space. And Global Airlines believes travellers will pay a premium for the privilege.
Having said that, what’s on offer today is rather different from what was originally proposed. That includes a new cabin called “Gamer Class” to allow people to play computer games on board.
There is no wifi. The inflight entertainment involves passengers using their devices rather than the seatback screens. And don’t get used to flights from Glasgow or indeed Manchester, where the next departure will be going on 21 May six days’ time – if and when a scheduled service gets going, it will be from London Gatwick to New York rather than Manchester or Glasgow.
