Global Airlines to contract Hi Fly to accelerate A380 Entry into Service Programme

• Under the agreement, Global Airlines will benefit from Hi Fly's expertise to accelerate the Entry into Service (EIS) programme for the airline's new fleet.
• Hi Fly, based in Lisbon, has significant A380 technical and operating experience.
• First Global aircraft expected to fly to Europe in the months ahead, with a new registration of 9H-GLOBL

LONDON, Sept. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In a significant operational development, Global Airlines and Hi Fly have signed an agreement to work together on the development and maintenance of the four A380 aircraft the new airline has agreed to acquire.

Hi Fly, who were the first to operate the A380 in the secondary market, will use their extensive experience of the aircraft, to work with Global on not only preparing it for service, but on helping the new carrier realise its ambition to provide customers with the best way to fly on commercial services, as it prepares for operations.  

The short-term focus for both organisations are the EIS and Return to Service (RTS) processes for Global's first aircraft, expected to commence in the months ahead. However, both companies will explore further ways to broaden their collaboration, united by a passion for the aircraft, and a shared belief in its enduring potential and appeal.

James Asquith, CEO and Founder of Global Airlines said: "This announcement has been a long time in the making, and I've said from the start, we at Global want to work with the best, most experienced partners, and Hi Fly are exactly that.

"The great news for us is that the team at Hi Fly know the A380 inside-out and will be invaluable in helping us with their industry knowledge around the maintenance and technical acceptance required for our first aircraft – all crucial steps before work begins on introducing our new interiors and other vital elements of the Global service and passenger proposition.

"We're proud to be working with Hi Fly and I place no limits on the potential of this collaboration."

Antonios Efthymiou, CEO and Accountable Manager for Hi Fly said: "As soon as James and his team announced Global to the world, we were delighted to be part of the continued A380 revival.

"Their passion for the A380, and belief in its potential to transform the passenger flying experience, is shared across our organisation, from top to bottom, and it's clear there are huge synergies between us.

"We are delighted to be able to share our experience with Global, steer the aircraft through the next important technical staging points, and, ultimately, return them to the sky where they belong."

Hi Fly holds authorisation to operate worldwide, and currently operates 35,000 flights per year for a base of 140 airlines and governments on a global basis. 

In 2018, Hi Fly became the first single-use plastic-free airline in the world.

About Global Airlines

Global Airlines was launched in 2023 with an aspiration to offer passengers the best way to fly. The airline is a wholly owned subsidiary of Holiday Swap Group and headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The airline is led by CEO James Asquith and backed by aviation experts and investors around the world. The airline has commenced an aircraft acquisition programme with four A380s secured.

About Hi Fly

Hi Fly is the largest Airbus Widebody aircraft wet lease specialist in the world, EASA and IOSA certified and FAA approved, with AOC's in Portugal and Malta, and licensed to operate globally. The airline operates a large fleet of all Airbus aircraft, Airbus A320, A330 and A340, available for wet lease and charter, passengers and cargo, on short, medium and long-term contracts, worldwide. Customers include airlines, governments, tour operators, freight forward companies and private individuals and the military. This is Hi Fly's core business and has been developed with unmatched operational expertise over the last 17 years.

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