Global is about to begin selling tickets for one-off flights from Glasgow and Manchester to New York JFK. One return flight from each airport will operate, with the inaugural from Scotland on 15 May followed by Manchester on 21 May. Return flights will be on 21 May and 25 May.
Flights will be operated under a Maltese licence held by charter specialist Hi Fly. They will be sold under Atol protection via GA.Flights – a trading name of TravelOpedia, which is licensed for 11,417 passengers. Global Airlines describes TravelOpedia as a “trustworthy consolidator”.
A CAA spokesperson said: “Global has no UK AOC, it will operate as Hi Fly Malta. It is a charter for an Atol-holder; technically, it’s Hi Fly with Global branding.” They added the arrangement was legal.
Global was established by entrepreneur James Asquith, who founded The Holiday Swap Group, which offers private home rental globally.
In his latest venture, he has invited consumers to register for a pre-sale of tickets 24 hours before general release, but has not said when this will be despite the short sales window. Global has 471 seats to fill on each flight, including a business and first class cabin.
The venture said it had overhauled the aircraft to give “a brand-new look and feel” and would provide chauffeur service to the airport for premium customers.
Global had planned to begin flying scheduled transatlantic services in 2024 . However, obtaining a UK Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) is a lengthy process and in planning these flights, Global may be keen to show it is able to operate despite still dealing with regulators.
