"Buying an aircraft outright with no debt, no lease and no financing is no small task," he said. "Some things take a little longer to do when you have full asset ownership, but we are convinced this will set Global up well in the long run."
The 11.37-year-old aircraft was registered as B-6140 (msn 120) while flying for China Southern and was withdrawn from use and ferried to Mojave in late 2022. Kansas-based Jet Midwest confirmed it assisted Global with the acquisition, and on February 2, 2024, the aircraft was entered into the Maltese register as 9H-GLOBL. Hi Fly Malta (3L, Malta International) is the temporary registrant and will assist Global with the A380's ferry flight "in the next few weeks, with its next destination announced in due course."
Global aspires to operate trans-Atlantic flights using mixed-configuration A380s. However, it recently delayed its planned 2024 northern summer debut to later in the year.
In May 2023, Global Airlines announced it had acquired its initial A380-800 from Doric Asset Finance. That plane, 9H-MIP (msn 6), was first operated Singapore Airlines (SQ, Singapore Changi) and later leased by Hi Fly Malta. However, Hi Fly retired the plane in 2020. The aircraft has since been repainted into Global's livery but remains stored at Lourdes/Tarbes. Asquith's commentary on the weekend did not include an update on 9H-MIP.
UK start-up has contracted Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) specialist Hi Fly to accelerate the launch of the airline's operations. According to the airline's press-release, "Global Airlines will benefit from Hi Fly's expertise to accelerate the entry into service programme for the airline's new fleet".
Both companies will work together to get the four Airbus A380s acquired by Global ready, leveraging the expertise Hi Fly has had as the first secondary-market user of the A380. Hi Fly is also going to operate the A380 until Global Airlines is able to secure its own Air Operator's Certificate (AOC).
The statement also mentions that both 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".
The first Airbus A380 acquired by Global Airlines is former Hi Fly 9H-MIP (006), which has been stored at Tarbes-Lourdes since March 2021. According to the press-release it will be re-registered as 9H-GLOBL. The airframes of the other three A380s is currently unknown.
The start-up said it chose to buy rather than lease the aircraft as it "showcases our commitment to financial security and resilience from day one".
"The purchase of our first aircraft demonstrates that we are well on the way to launching Global. The next step is to overhaul and refit the aircraft to our high specification, providing our customers with the best experience in the sky today," Chief Executive and Founder James Asquith said.
The German lessor confirmed the transaction.
"We are proud to have placed this beautiful modern aircraft with a new airline that will soon take to the skies. We are confident that Global Airlines will acquire more A380 aircraft in the near future," Managing Partner Sibylle Paehler said.
The start-up said it is planning to acquire another three A380s shortly and aims to outfit them with around 471 passenger seats each, including high-end first-class suites.
Global Airlines said it would outline its network plans later in 2023. The start-up previously floated plans to connect Gatwick with long-haul destinations around the world but now said it would initially focus on the transatlantic market.
Global Airlines has a registered capital of GBP100 pounds (USD123), fully paid by founder Asquith. The start-up is reportedly backed by Asquith's other business venture, Holiday Swap, a privately-held holiday accommodation provider.
Another One Bites The Dust: Airbus A380 Scrapped In France
Another Airbus A380 is no more, according to images recently shared on social media. Late last year, Hi Fly decided against renewing its lease on the aircraft. With the jet’s livery removed, it was repositioned to France. Now, another A380 in Tarbes has been scrapped.
An Airbus A380 (not pictured) has been scrapped in Tarbes, France. Photo: Getty Images
While undoubtedly a great plane, the second-hand market for the Airbus A380 was non-existent even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, things are even worse, with many airlines seemingly unable to get rid of the type soon enough. Thankfully, the type’s future in the skies is secure for now, thanks to significant operator Emirates and also British Airways.
Bye-bye 9H-MIP?
It seemed as if Hi Fly’s Airbus A380 may be in the process of being scrapped in Tarbes, France. Images shared on Twitter over the past days show the sorry state of a former giant. Thankfully, it seems that Hi Fly’s A380 will live another day. Rather 9H-DPE, another former Singapore Airlines A380 has been cut up according to sources.
When looking at the state of the jet, the most noticeable change is that its entire tail section has been removed just behind the rear pressure bulkhead. Two large areas of the fuselage have also been removed from the top of the jet. Finally, it seems that the plane’s landing gear has been salvaged, as it now seemingly rests on the ground. Key components such as the landing gear will likely become spare parts for other A380s.
Hi Fly’s former A380 arrived in Tarbes two months ago, on March 16th. The aircraft operated its last revenue flight on December 15th, flying light cargo from Shanghai to Hamburg via Seoul.
Two days later, Hi Fly returned the aircraft to Toulouse following the end of its lease. The final flight saw it ‘paint’ a heart in the sky above the Atlantic Ocean. On January 24th, it left Toulouse for Abu Dhabi before returning on March 15th. As mentioned above, the next day, it took its final flight.
An excellent aircraft for niche applications
It seemed that a wet lease Airbus A380 was an excellent idea for when it was needed. Sadly, this was not often. With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the aircraft became unviable. Some highlights of the jet’s passenger career saw it filling in for Norwegian when the 787 was grounded.
An attempt was made to repurpose the jet as a freighter. Photo: Hi Fly
Sadly, the aircraft spent many prolonged periods on the ground at its Beja home. This was, even more, the case during the winter. With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, the already low demand for the jet ceased altogether. Hi Fly attempted to reposition the plane as a makeshift freighter for high volume, low mass shipments, but it remained unpopular, leading to its eventual downfall.
Hi Fly Malta is a Maltese subsidiary of Portuguese charter airline Hi Fly. The carrier is known for having operated an Airbus A380 in a striking ‘Save The Coral Reefs’ livery. This paint scheme raised environmental awareness, warning against coral reef destruction on its travels.
Amid falling demand, Hi Fly Malta withdrew the aircraft from service in December 2020. Photo: Getty Images
As a charter aircraft, it was able to spread this message all over the world. But which airlines leased 9H-MIP during the ex-Singapore Airlines A380’s time at Hi Fly Malta? Let’s have a look at some examples.
Norwegian
Low-cost carrier Norwegian was one of 9H-MIP’s more prominent users between 2018 and 2020. One of the reasons it leased the aircraft was to clear a backlog of delayed passengers caused by the London Gatwick drone incident in December 2018. The A380’s extra capacity over Norwegian’s Boeing 787s was crucial in getting transatlantic passengers home for Christmas.
The A380 offered extra capacity over Norwegian’s Boeing 787 fleet. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Air Madagascar
Summer 2019 also marked an aviation milestone for the African island nation of Madagascar. Its flag carrier leased 9H-MIP to temporarily replace an Airbus A340, which required engine work. In doing so, the aircraft became the first A380 to land in Madagascar, when it arrived in Antananarivo on a scheduled flight from Paris on June 30th, 2019. Curiously, a Wamos Air Boeing 747 operated the return leg to Paris instead of Hi Fly Malta’s superjumbo.
Air Senegal
Senegal represents another African nation that saw a flight land from Paris operated by 9H-MIP in 2019. Technical difficulties with the Airbus A330-900 that typically operated this route brought Hi Fly Malta’s A380 into play for flight HC404 on April 19th, 2019.
9H-MIP spent just over a month in storage in Toulouse following its withdrawal. It had its livery removed during this time, and it has since transferred to Abu Dhabi. Photo: Anna Zvereva via Flickr
Venezuelan carrier Estelar Airlines had not been explicitly looking to lease 9H-MIP in July 2019. Indeed, it was already leasing another Hi Fly aircraft, namely an Airbus A340, at the time. However, when this plane needed to be sent for repairs, the A380 stepped in to fill the gap for two weeks. It operated Estelar’s scheduled services between Madrid and Caracas in this spell.
A charter for football fans
In each of the previous instances, airlines leased the A380 to provide cover or extra capacity on scheduled services. However, it has also seen action on one-off charters for sporting events, for which thousands of fans need transporting in a short period of time.
Hi Fly Malta’s A380 initially belonged to Singapore Airlines. The Singaporean flag carrier received the aircraft in March 2008. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
One of these was the 2019 Europa League final, which took place between British clubs Arsenal and Chelsea in Baku, Azerbaijan. With limited scheduled flights between the UK and Baku, several charters were operated before the game in May 2019.
The one that provoked the most interest from an avgeek’s perspective had to be that involving 9H-MIP. This represented the first-ever A380 flight out of London Stansted, which has limited facilities for handling such large aircraft. Chelsea ended up winning the match by a score of 4-1, capping off a great few days for anyone in the middle ring of the Chelsea fans/A380 fans Venn diagram!
Retired Hi Fly Airbus A380 Loses Coral Reef Livery
The sheer size of the Airbus A380 has rendered it one of the most visually-striking airliners of its generation. The most visually-striking livery seen on one in recent years is surely that of charter airline Hi Fly Malta. Its famous ‘Save The Coral Reefs’ paint scheme was seen on the superjumbo for two years. However, following its withdrawal, this aircraft no longer bears these colors.
‘Save The Coral Reefs’ was one of the most unique liveries to grace our skies in recent memory. Photo: Getty Images
A livery with a message
Hi Fly Malta has a history of unique liveries as a means of raising awareness for ocean pollution. In 2017, it sponsored the ‘Turn The Tide On Plastic’ sailing team, repainting one of its Airbus A330s in support. One side of the aircraft depicted a polluted ocean, with the other being much cleaner. The aircraft functioned as a worldwide campaign against plastic waste in oceans.
Upon taking delivery of its only Airbus A380, 9H-MIP, in July 2018, Hi Fly Malta saw an opportunity to raise further awareness for a similar cause. Partnering with the Mirpuri Foundation, which campaigns against coral reef destruction, the airline stated:
“If no action is taken, these beautiful ecosystems will disappear by 2050. With 50% of the world’s corals already gone, action needs to be taken immediately and awareness is the first step.”
The ‘Save The Coral Reefs’ livery was different on each side of 9H-MIP. One side depicted a healthy coral reef, with the other showing what the future might look like if the destruction continues. Photo: Getty Images
However, with the aircraft since having returned to storage in France, it emerged on Twitter earlier this week that its iconic livery had been stripped. 9H-MIP now sits awaiting an uncertain future. With the second-hand market for A380s virtually non-existent, its next destination may be its last – a scrapyard.
A brief history of 9H-MIP
According to Planespotters.net, Hi Fly Malta acquired 9H-MIP second-hand in July 2018. Singapore Airlines initially took delivery of this aircraft in March 2008, when its registration was 9V-SKC. It eventually withdrew the aircraft in November 2017. The aircraft’s ferry flight from Singapore to Malta on July 4th, 2018 took it via Abu Dhabi.
Hi Fly Malta applied the iconic ‘Save The Coral Reefs’ livery to the aircraft in the same month of its delivery. Initially configured to seat 471 passengers across three classes, the aircraft found itself repurposed earlier last year. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic first saw the airline utilize 9H-MIP’s large passenger capacity to operate repatriation flights.
‘Save The Coral Reefs’ was a unique livery for Hi Fly Malta’s Airbus A380. Its aircraft typically bear this paint scheme, as seen here on an Airbus A330-300 at Manchester. Photo: Ian Gratton via Flickr
However, as passenger demand dwindled, Hi Fly Malta reconfigured it for cargo use. This made it the world’s first dedicated cargo A380. Nonetheless, the airline announced the aircraft’s retirement in November 2020. It made its final flight from Beja, Portugal to Toulouse, France the following month, on December 17th. Now in storage in Toulouse, its future remains uncertain.
Hi Fly Malta
9H-MIP’s former operator is the Maltese subsidiary of the larger Portuguese charter airline simply known as Hi Fly. According to Planespotters.net, its fleet currently consists of:
