Superjumbo revival! New UK-US airline set to operate flights from London to NYC and LA by 2024 acquires A380 to ‘transport passengers back to travel’s golden age’

• New carrier Global Airlines is the first new airline to own an A380 in eight years
• The airline expects to acquire three more A380s in the coming months
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A new airline planning to operate transatlantic flights from London by spring 2024 has bought its first plane.

Global Airlines said it has acquired an Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger jet.

The carrier – which intends to begin flying from London to New York and Los Angeles from next year – 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.

But the model’s ability to carry more passengers than other commercial planes means they are making a recovery.

New airline Global Airlines, which is planning to operate transatlantic flights by early 2024, has bought its first plane

Global Airlines bought its plane from German aircraft finance company Doric Aviation.

It did not reveal how much it paid, though it’s understood to be in the eight-figure range.

Global Airlines expects to acquire three more A380s in the coming months.

A statement from the airline says that the A380 ‘will transport passengers back to the “Golden Age of Air Travel” with its unrivalled spaciousness and reinvigorated flying experience in every cabin’. 

The carrier’s plans to fly between London and the U.S puts 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.

Global Airlines intends to begin flying from London to New York and Los Angeles in the spring of next year

Norwegian Air Shuttle 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.’ 

Asquith, who had travelled to every country in the world by the age of 24, continued: ‘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.’

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