New airline to launch this summer – with flights from the UK to the US
A NEW airline is launching this summer – with flights between the UK and the US by next year.
Global Airlines has acquired an Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger jet.
And from spring 2024, the new airline will operate transatlantic flights from London to New York and Los Angeles.
This will put it in competition with legacy airlines such as British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, as well as Norwegian low-cost carrier Norse, which began flying between London Gatwick and New York last August.
Norwegian Air operated transatlantic flights with low fares but axed its long-haul operations in January 2021 due to heavy losses.
Global Airlines founder and chief executive James Asquith, who also created travel company Holiday Swap, said: “Our aspiration is to be the best way to fly and the A380 – with its unmatched levels of space, comfort and service – will be absolutely central to achieving that vision.
“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.
“Acquiring our aircraft rather than leasing showcases our commitment to financial security and resilience from day one.”
The airline will launch formally this summer with more details regarding flight routes.
It believes it is the first new airline to own one of the double-decker superjumbos in eight years.
The vast majority of A380s around the world were put into storage at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, sparking speculation they would never return due to the existence of more fuel-efficient aircraft.
Global Airlines bought its plane from German aircraft finance company Doric Aviation, with plans for three more A380s in the coming months.
Last year, Norse Atlantic launched cheap flights from London Gatwick to New York.
However, a number of airlines also went bust this year.
In January, thousands of passengers were left stranded after UK airline Flybe closed, ceasing all flights.
And in February, Norwegian airline Flyr filed for bankruptcy.