New UK startup plans to shake up transatlantic market

[Tiggers Friend]

Is this interesting or foolhardy? From TravelMole.

New UK startup plans to shake up transatlantic market

A new UK based airline startup wants to boldly enter the transatlantic flight market.

Global Airlines has acquired its first aircraft ? an Airbus A380 superjumbo.

Global Airlines plans to buy three more A380s and launch operations in 2024.

?The next step is to overhaul and refit the aircraft,? the airline said.

The startup is founded by James Asquith, who also founded Holiday Swap.

It is a brave move to start a new airline venture for the highly competitive transatlantic flight market with a A289 superjumbo.

Acquiring our aircraft rather than leasing shows our commitment to financial security and resilience from day one,? Asquith said.

The company is eyeing transatlantic flights from London Gatwick to New York and Los Angeles.

[Simon Veness]

This is definitely the first I've heard of it, and, as you say, it will either be very brave or very foolhardy. The UK-US market is VERY hard to crack and the existing players are so well entrenched, and I just don't think there is enough demand for NY and LA to justify such a huge investment.

[Tiggers Friend]

Yes the choice of route and plane seems strange. The routes are well served already and the A380 is a big plane to fill.

[spencem]

With several airlines dumping their A380s I guess they are available for bargain prices on the second-hand market, but that bargain prices will still be a huge amount of money. Good luck to them, but I'll not be surprised to see them go bust before their first flight.

[Simon Veness]

They certainly wouldn't be the first, spencem. Remember Zoom?!

[spencem]

Zoom? I'm old enough to remember Laker.

[Simon Veness]

But at least Laker got off the ground for a few years - I'm not sure Zoom flew too many transatlantic flights at all!

(And where is today's Freddie Laker when we need him? I'm not sure James Asquith is ready to fill his shoes).