Global Airlines is the “airline startup” that has acquired Airbus A380s, and plans to use them to operate long haul flights with a revolutionary passenger experience.
Up until recently, the claim has been that the airline will launch operations in the spring of 2024, initially flying between the United Kingdom and the United States. That’s despite the fact that the airline hasn’t filed for necessary regulatory approval, and also hasn’t even announced firm plans for the interiors of its jets.
Well, there’s now an additional update regarding the launch of this airline, and it’s exactly what you’d expect.
In this post:
Global Airlines pushes back launch to late 2024
Global Airlines no longer plans to launch scheduled flights as of the spring of 2024. Per a spokesperson for the company:
“Our intention is to commence with charter flights later in 2024 with scheduled services from the UK following that. We expect to operate our first round of passenger services in the next 12 months. However, we, like many other companies in aviation, have encountered some delays with our partners and multiple supply chain issues which we continue to work around and find solutions to.”
The airline is also considering using its aircraft for charter services for major events in the future, like the 2026 World Cup in the United States.
I’m curious how long this all goes on for
Look, I’d love to see an innovative new airline launched, but Global Airlines just isn’t it, in my opinion. I wish I could just look away from Global Airlines and not pay any attention, but I can’t, as it’s just too entertaining, and I can’t wait to see what happens next. I think this will make a great Netflix documentary one day, so if anyone works in entertainment…
The guy behind this company is James Asquith, and his previous business success is that he is the founder of Holiday Swap, a vacation rental platform. The company claims to have a $400 million valuation, to have over a million users, and to have the goal of having five million users in 2024.
My gosh, that’s an absolutely massive business, right? This guy must be a business genius! Maybe he is, but it’s interesting how the Holiday Swap website has an average of somewhere around 10,000 page views per month, and only has 57 reviews on TrustPilot, most of which are five stars and from people who have left a single review.
As a point of comparison, Home Exchange claims to have 150,000 users, and gets somewhere around 1.5 million page views per month, and has over 5,000 reviews on TrustPilot.
I’ll let y’all draw your own conclusions about what’s going on here.
One of the things standing in the way of me believing that Global Airlines is serious is that the airline still hasn’t announced firm plans for how to configure its aircraft. The seats on the A380s that were reportedly purchased are no longer certified, so the airline needs new seats.
A nice cabin interior will likely cost significantly more than what the company spent to acquire those planes. Where’s the order for seats? You can’t blame supply chain challenges when there’s not even a clear indication of what’s in motion.
Global Airlines has had time to announce just about everything else, ranging from a partnership with Laurent Perrier, to a partnership with American Express. The company has put out as much fluff as possible, while doing very little that gets the company closer to launching flights.
What I can’t wrap my head around is what the motive is here. What’s the actual end goal? Because if the goal is to launch operations, the company is doing a pretty lousy job…
Bottom line
Global Airlines was supposed to launch operations in the spring of 2024, but that timeline has now been pushed back. The airline now plans to launch charter operations in late 2024, and then plans to operate regularly scheduled passenger flights after that.
If Global Airlines wants to actually launch operations, how about starting the regulatory process, as well as the process of ordering aircraft seats? We’re waiting, and believe it or not, selecting a champagne supplier isn’t step one in launching an airline.
When do you think Global Airlines will actually launch?
Sounds like a Mickey Mouse outfit, they must
be dreaming
By sound of it, they will never get off the runway.
Why have the seats lost certification?
Someone needs to check into this! And expose the scam xx
Anyone who thinks Holiday Swap is a profitable business worth £400 millions are a freaking clown. There isn’t even one person I know of who has used Holiday Swap Platform let alone anyone who has heard of it. James Asquith quite literally begs people on Instagram to invest in his scam of a Business Holiday Swap. Go and check the engagement on that account on Instagram there isn’t even one real person commenting on it....
Anyone who thinks Holiday Swap is a profitable business worth £400 millions are a freaking clown. There isn’t even one person I know of who has used Holiday Swap Platform let alone anyone who has heard of it. James Asquith quite literally begs people on Instagram to invest in his scam of a Business Holiday Swap. Go and check the engagement on that account on Instagram there isn’t even one real person commenting on it. If he have millions of users on it why’s no one engaging? His VC money sure provides the jersey lifestyle of his GF and him flying on Emirates first class in every single flight they take! Clown
Change the name from Global to Maybe Local
James is just a grifter who uses the VC funds for these businesses to find his jetset lifestyle. And then move on to the next venture, raise more VC funds to keep the grift going
Couldn’t have said it better myself mate xx
Some big egos riding this one
The most important problem is obviously financial.
2024 and we still have the Ole supply chain excuse.
It's what I have coined "schmuck and mirrors".
Ah, very good
Its going to be a looooooong time before we see Global "take off".....
Between this and Boom supersonic, I'd actually say this is the more appealing scam... at least they have aircraft with engines (albeit no seats) to show to the fools being parted from their money. And champagne.
How to become a "millionaire"? Have $400 million venture money and start an airline. $1 million left in the bank...ta da!
Well, it's good to see you leaning on the side of fraud. Everything announced by this guy, makes no business sense and certainly isn't sustainable. I'm sticking with my first opinion that this is a money laundering scheme
I hear they got around to registering their A380: G-RIFT.
...and if you guys can't wait to fly the airline to accrue miles, you can sign up for their credit card now! 200,000 miles sign up bonus with only $1000 spending and $89 annual fee!
Perhaps they should rebrand as Charades Airways (with a fancy logo).
The Holiday Swap COO is a TOEFL teacher: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-mcginlay-16b973243/?originalSubdomain=uk
I'm gonna get a Holiday swap for my place at fyre festival and fly there on global - I hear the IFE will be worth watching if you can get past the playstation's and bottles of LP.
This airline really is a trip review blogger’s dream come true absent any idea of cost vs yield premium. The true irony will be when a blogger realizes there’s a reason current airlines don’t always have the best champagne or update their seats every five years.
I’m shocked they got as many investors as they did. It never ceases to amaze me how many investors fly business class and think they know how to...
This airline really is a trip review blogger’s dream come true absent any idea of cost vs yield premium. The true irony will be when a blogger realizes there’s a reason current airlines don’t always have the best champagne or update their seats every five years.
I’m shocked they got as many investors as they did. It never ceases to amaze me how many investors fly business class and think they know how to make money in aviation
I wish them the best but it’s hard to imagine this airline ever flying or being profitable.
Did anybody see the story from earlier this week about a director from OnlyFans has joined the board?
I read it in the Telegraph, which is paywalled unless you use the browser tools to get round it but they took it pretty seriously!
Even if the airline never takes to the skies, let us not forget that the executives are salaried. And, once you have "executive" on your resume . . . even of a failed airline . . . you'll easily move to your next executive position. That's how the game works.
Top 3 countries to visit that site are (in order) Guatemala, Colombia and Turkey. LOL!
Turkiye is lovely , as for these guys....BALTIA comes to mind
It would be good to have a story about how the seats lost certification.
Lost certification? The company's head is clearly certifiable.
I second that.
Presumably nothing to do with Global Airlines , but affects them.