Global Airlines is selling tickets for its first flight one month before the trip from Glasgow to New York City – founder and chief executive James Asquith says the journey to this point has been ‘massively challenging’
New British start-up airline Global Airlines has started selling tickets for its first flight, one month before the planned inaugural trip from Glasgow to New York City. The airline is hoping to eventually establish an entire transatlantic flight network.
The first Global Airlines Airbus A380 should set off from Glasgow on May 15 at 11am, landing at New York’s JFK Airport roughly seven hours later before returning to Scotland on May 19. The airline’s second flight will take off from Manchester on May 21, again heading to New York City for another four-day stay. Global Airlines founder and chief executive James Asquith, 36, was estimated by the Sunday Times Rich List to be worth around £182m.
Ahead of the upcoming flights, he posted on Instagram: “There is nothing better than seeing our first aircraft in the sky where it belongs. Seeing 9H-GLOBL flying reminds me of the monumental efforts of so many people in the last two years that have led us to this moment. I want to say a huge thank you to every single person who has played their part in this journey.”
And he told The Independent before the first tickets went on sale: “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.”
Global Airlines’ economy class (‘Global Traveller’) return ticket is selling for £778, with business class at £3,700 and first class at £7,127. While no other airline currently flies direct from Glasgow to New York City, United is selling return tickets from Edinburgh for £413 for the same dates (although this does not include checked baggage).
The aircraft set to make Global Airlines’ maiden voyage is a 12-year-old former China Southern jet owned by the new airline, although it will be operated by Hi Fly Malta – a subsidiary of the Portuguese aviation firm Hi Fly. Tickets for the flight are being sold through Travelopedia.
This comes after holidaymakers were left in the lurch as travel titan TUI axed flights to Lanzarote after torrential downpours flooded the island. Spanish authorities declared a state of emergency in the Canary Islands following the deluge over the weekend.
The beloved tourist hotspot of Costa Teguise was severely affected, with holidaymakers sharing the aftermath on social media. Images and footage revealed swimming pool areas swamped by murky brown floodwaters and roads smothered in thick mud. And some travellers discovered their trips had been scrapped only upon reaching their airport.
A spokesperson for TUI stated: “Due to the lack of alternative accommodation on the island during the busy Easter period we unfortunately had to cancel a small number of holidays departing yesterday and today.
“Customers were able to receive a full-refund or amend to another TUI holiday with a re-booking incentive. As always, the safety of our customers and colleagues is our main priority therefore TUI resort teams are working with the local authorities to find customers currently in impacted hotels, alternative accommodation or return flights back to the UK.”