Global Airlines’ First A380 Flight Takes Off… A Bold Leap or a Flight of Fancy?

On May 15, 2025, Global Airlines finally operated its long-awaited inaugural flight from Glasgow to New York JFK aboard a refurbished Airbus A380.

The airline promised a throwback to the “Golden Age of Travel,” complete with caviar and Laurent-Perrier champagne in economy. And while I genuinely wanted to root for them, what unfolded left plenty of questions hanging in the air.

The flight, operated on a former China Southern A380 now registered as 9H-GLOBL, carried around 100 passengers, many of whom were aviation enthusiasts and influencers. As an avgeek myself, I gotta say I love the A380. There’s something undeniably majestic about boarding a double-decker plane. But while Global promised a “golden age” of air travel, the actual onboard experience didn’t quite match the grandeur.

From what I’ve heard and seen, the cabin still had plenty of China Southern’s original fixtures, reportedly non-working IFE (in-flight entertainment), and some finishing touches that felt more “in progress” than premium. One passenger summed it up as “more nostalgia trip than luxury launch.”

Still, for an inaugural flight with a light load, some bumps are forgivable. The real question is: can Global deliver a polished experience when the plane’s full and the hype has settled?

For a visual recap of Global Airlines' inaugural flight, check out the following video:

James Asquith, the CEO and high-profile face of the brand, had a lot to say post-flight. He made one bold case for the way Global is doing things:

“We’ve flipped this around. A lot of people get their AOC and lease an aircraft. We’ve bought the aircraft and we work together with Hi Fly on the AOC. We see this as a much better strategy for the long term...”

It’s a novel approach, sure, but let me be clear: Global doesn’t yet hold its own Air Operator Certificate (AOC). This flight was operated by Hi Fly, a Portuguese charter company. So technically, Global hasn’t actually launched as a standalone airline. They’ve launched a brand, one with a leased backend.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Getting airborne any way you can is a smart and commendable. But it also highlights how far they still have to go. As of now, this is more a flying startup than a fully-fledged airline.

This arrangement raises questions about the airline's readiness to operate independently and the feasibility of its ambitious plans.

Passengers were served Laurent-Perrier champagne and caviar, even in economy. And that’s genuinely fun! I respect the gesture. But as someone who’s been on a lot of premium flights, I care more about consistency than one-off theatrics.

While the airline's marketing emphasized a return to luxury air travel, onboard experiences told a different story. Passengers reported that the in-flight entertainment systems were largely non-functional, and some fittings appeared hastily assembled. Also, many accessories seemed to be peeling off, clearly not updated since the plane’s production.

Also, let’s not forget that feeding 100 passengers is not the same as operating a full A380 with over 500 seats. That’s where things get a lot harder, and where Global will need to show they can scale the product, not just stage it.

There’s a second promotional flight planned for May 21 from Manchester to JFK. However, with only two A380s in its fleet and no confirmed schedule beyond these initial flights, the airline's future remains uncertain.

For now, I see Global more as a slick marketing startup than a traditional airline. But I say that not cynically, just realistically. I want them to succeed. I love bold aviation ideas. But I also know how brutally hard this industry is. For every airline startup that manages to actually fly and build a business, there are many more that fail before they even begin operations, despite big promises and flashy marketing.

The vision of reviving luxury air travel is commendable, but the path forward will require addressing operational challenges and aligning grand ambitions with practical execution.

Global Airlines’ first flight was… something. I’ll give them credit, they got a plane in the air with real passengers, which is more than a lot of airline startups can say. But between the leased operation, the mixed product, and the fuzzy timeline for future flights, I’m not quite ready to crown this a comeback for the A380, or for luxury air travel.

I’ll be watching closely to see what Global does next. But as far as I’m concerned, the real test is whether it can maintain that momentum and deliver consistent, reliable service going forward.