James Asquith, CEO of Global Airlines explains what it meant to see the first A380 land at EFW for heavy maintenance and just how complex the Global Airlines journey has been so far.
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Global Airlines CEO James Asquith Discusses Sending 9H-GLOBL to Dresden…
I don’t think many people will ever fully understand the complexity involved in getting a commercial airliner back in the sky, and the A380 is the most complex of them all.
When I cast my mind back to 1st May 2024, it was a momentous day. The culmination of a dream turning into a reality as our first owned A380 flew from California to Scotland.
But that flight didn’t just happen because we wanted it to.
It happened because a group of incredible people came together to make the impossible happen – and I will be forever grateful to all of them.
There is no doubt we will have to write the book one day.
On The Logistical Hurdles…
The hurdles (many and significant) we overcame to move that aircraft were massive. Changing 22 wheels. Replacing the APU. Dealing with reams of paperwork and regulatory requirements.
Over 5,000 hours in vital return to service work closely with Airbus to ensure we had done everything necessary.
Working with multiple maintenance organisations, parts providers and airports. It has been the kind of logistical challenge that you would expect mountains of GANT charts to be supporting – and then some.
Our first aircraft, 9H-GLOBL completed a two-leg journey from the USA to the UK.
The flights, which were operated by a hugely experienced Hi Fly crew, were the first ever Transcontinental and Transatlantic flights to be conducted under special flying conditions in the near 20-year history of the A380.
Press Coverage On The Event…
There was significant coverage of the achievement in the press, online, and it was the most tracked flight in the world that day.
Hundreds of local people turned up at Glasgow Prestwick (PIK) to see the first ever landing of the superjumbo at the west of Scotland airport.
With 9H-GLOBL based at PIK, Storm Aviation continued to maintain the aircraft.
Progress was also made on the application of the Global livery, sending a positive message to the world.
Our small but well-formed team at Global HQ has literally shed blood, sweat and tears to keep the project on track.
Yes, we’ve had some knocks and some left-field ambushes that left us speechless and wondering how the days and weeks ahead would turn out, but we dealt with them all.
It might be my vision and my dream to launch Global Airlines, but it is the team spirit, entrepreneurial approach and true grit and determination across the whole company that is truly driving the momentum.
We’ve encountered some of the very best in the industry – the kind of people who go the extra mile because they want to and because they love what they do and what we are doing.
We’ve also met some of the worst in the industry, but there will come a time to talk more about that; it is not for now.
Sending The Global Airlines A380 9H-GLOBL to Dresden: What Next?
On Friday 4th of October, 9H-GLOBL flew from Prestwick to Dresden and was handed over to the expert team at Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) who will perform maintenance across the aircraft, this being the first of many to the Global Airlines fleet.
EFW are to perform the base maintenance inspection that will enable return to commercial service for our first fully acquired aircraft.
9H-GLOBL will now undergo all necessary maintenance, including mandatory inspections and component replacements, before repositioning within Europe for an interior overhaul, ahead of starting operations in 2025.
EFW is a world leader and an incredible partner for us, with huge experience on the A380 and the desire to develop that side of their business moving forward.
A Message To Future Customers…
The support they have already provided has been amazing and there is a long future ahead for our two organisations.
To our future customers, the A380 conjures up a magical image of beauty and wonder.
Unsurprisingly, delivering this masterpiece requires nothing short of coordination of an exponential matrix of specialist partners from livery to landing gear, seating to soft pillows, and flight planning to crewing, all with an intense shared dedication.
The list of organisations we work with is almost endless – PIK, Storm, BCA, Hi Fly, Airbus, Rolls Royce, Mojave, legal, regulators (in at least three jurisdictions), ground ops, Montreal, ATC, decals, catering, flight planning, and more.
Whenever you plan to fly an aircraft, there are a great deal of tasks and requirements that need to be managed before the doors close and it can head off to its destination.
We have now flown our first A380 five times.
Every step of our journey so far has come with its own set of unique challenges, but each time we have overcome them all to get to where we need to be.
While I can’t explain just how complex it all is, I also can’t explain the emotion and the excitement of seeing her in the sky each time.
I don’t think I will ever get over seeing ‘GLOBAL’ in the sky, and from the crowds that gathered at both PIK and DRS, it appears that I am not the only one!
So, thanks again to all those who are already part of our journey; we’ve only just begun.
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