Airbus A380 belonging to new airline that promises 'a return to the golden age of travel' touches down in Glasgow, marking the first time the city has welcomed a superjumbo
- The A380 arrived in Glasgow from Mojave Air and Space Port
- While there it underwent two months of technical and engineering assessments
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It’s the brand-new airline with a mission to take passengers ‘back to the golden age of travel’ – and this week it took a huge step forward, with its Airbus A380 touching down at Glasgow Prestwick Airport.
Global Airlines, founded in 2021 by Briton James Asquith, who also created travel company Holiday Swap, hailed the arrival of its superjumbo in Scotland as a ‘momentous moment’, one that ‘signalled a significant milestone being reached’.
Glasgow Prestwick Airport CEO Ian Forgie said: ‘We are delighted to have supported Global with this key stage in their exciting journey.
‘It was also the first time an A380 has landed at Prestwick, so this was an exciting moment in Prestwick’s aviation history. It drew a large crowd of aviation enthusiasts who wanted to witness the touchdown.’
The A380, registration number 9H-GLOBL, arrived in Glasgow from Mojave Air and Space Port in California following two months of technical and engineering assessments. During this time the crew received bespoke simulator training.
Global Airlines’ A380 (above) touched down at Glasgow Prestwick Airport this week – a milestone for the new carrier. And it was the first-ever superjumbo visit for the airport
On Tuesday, April 30, the aircraft, led by Commander Carlos Mirpuri and a crew of three, flew for five hours and 40 minutes to Montreal Mirabel International Airport, where it refuelled.
The aircraft then headed across the Atlantic, direct to Glasgow Prestwick.
The flight itself created significant local and online attention and was the most viewed flight of the day on Wednesday on Flight Radar, Global Airlines claimed, with almost 40,000 viewers at its peak.
Global Airlines’ A380 takes to the skies at Mojave Air and Space Port
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Speaking for the first time since the arrival of the aircraft in Scotland, Mr Asquith said: ‘There were moments when I thought the aircraft would not make it out of America, but thanks to amazing efforts from our brilliant Global team, we now have our first aircraft in Europe and are in a position and a place where we can take even further strides forward.
‘Getting to Europe is a significant milestone for Global Airlines and it’s the product of huge amounts of energy, resolve and belief in the project, on both sides of the Atlantic.
‘I am particularly grateful to the team at Glasgow Prestwick Airport for welcoming 9H-GLOBL with such enthusiasm. I am so pleased that we now have the opportunity to work with industry leaders in the UK to build new A380 capabilities and expertise.
‘Looking ahead, everybody in the team is moving forward to a really busy summer where we’ll start to showcase more and more of the Global offering and innovations that will make our airline unique.’
Commander Carlos Mirpuri, Vice-Chairman of Hi Fly Group, who was the chief pilot for the flights, said after arriving at Prestwick: ‘This airplane is an engineering marvel, and I can’t get enough of it. This was a long journey across America and the Atlantic, and all went as expected.
‘I wish Global Airlines success with it. It is time to conduct the rest of the return-to-service jobs so that passengers can enjoy flying this superjumbo. There is nothing like it.’
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