British startup Global Airlines commenced commercial operations on May 15, 2025, on a service between Glasgow and New York.
The maiden flight departed Glasgow at around 11:30 local time and arrived at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport six hours later. The plane is set to return to Scotland on May 19, before heading to Manchester and then onto New York again.
Global Airlines - which was founded in 2021 by entrepreneur James Asquith - received its first A380 on May 1, 2024, landing at Glasgow Prestwick Airport where it underwent its full interior refurbishment.
In January this year, the aircraft - 9H-GLOBL - completed its heavy maintenance at Elbe Flugzeugwerke at Dresden Airport. The aircraft departed from the airport, heading to Beja, Portugal for the “final touches” to be made. The airline also welcomed its new crew a week later.
The airline was originally supposed to launch last year but was pushed back as it completed maintenance on the aircraft.