On 9 February 2024, US-Bangla Airlines welcomed its very first widebody aircraft. As we previously reported in July 2023, the carrier from Bangladesh is set to expand with two Airbus A330-300s. The first one, currently registered 9H-POP (1445), was welcomed with a traditional water salute and will become S2-ALA soon. The second A330-300 will become S2-ALB (1527) and will be following soon.
US-Bangla Airlines will utilize the duo to expand with new destinations in the Middle-East. Being mentioned are Bahrain, Dammam, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait City, and Riyadh. Both A330s are equipped with an all economy lay-out of 436 seats.
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.
G-SUNB (msn 11379) was registered in the United Kingdom on March 31, 2023, and delivered from Hamburg Finkenwerder to East Midlands for final repainting on April 1. On April 5, it was repositioned to Manchester International, but has yet to enter revenue service, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.
The aircraft is the first of sixty-three A321-200NX ordered by Jet2 plc from Airbus. The leisure-oriented low-cost carrier ordered the initial batch of 34 aircraft in August 2021 but has since gradually upped its commitment. The aircraft will replace Jet2's ageing fleet of B737-300s (currently numbering seven aircraft with an average age of 25.1 years), B737-800s (84 aircraft with an average age of 13.7 years), and B757-200s (eight units, 32.5 years old on average).
However, as the airline strives to add more capacity for the busy summer season, it has also signed a long-term wet-lease commitment with Titan Airways (ZT, London Stansted) covering two A321-200s. G-POWN (msn 3830) started operating on behalf of Jet2 out of London Stansted on March 31, 2023. The other unit, G-POWU (msn 3708), has yet to be deployed into service on behalf of the LCC. Titan Airways said both wet leases would run through early November 2023 and will repeat during the Summer 2024 season.
Jet2 also operates a small in-house subfleet of three A321-200s, as well as one more unit of the type wet-leased from Hi Fly (5K, Beja).
CS-TQP (msn 211) was re-registered as 9H-TQP on January 7 and operated a test flight around Beja under its new registration on January 8, 2022, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. It has yet, however, to begin operating revenue flights under the Maltese AOC.
The A330's transfer follows the recent re-registration of Hi Fly's last A340-300 in Malta and further reduces the Portuguese carrier's already diminished fleet. While before the COVID-19 pandemic, Hi Fly tended to have a roughly balanced number of aircraft registered on both of its AOCs, currently, the distribution is heavily skewed towards the Maltese unit, which now operates one A319-100, one A321-200, the A330-200, three A330-300s, one A330-900, and six A340-300s. In turn, its Portuguese sister carrier operates just one A321 and one A330-900, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows.
9H-TQY (msn 190), formerly CS-TQY, operated its last flight under the Portuguese AOC on December 15, 2021, from Pittsburgh Int'l to Berau. Following brief maintenance and re-registration, the 24.3-year-old ex-Singapore Airlines and Emirates jet was moved to the Maltese register and flew to Ho Chi Minh City on December 21. It has since been in near daily operation on long-haul cargo-only services, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.
Following the transfer, Hi Fly's Portuguese-registered fleet comprises one A321-200, one A330-200, and one A330-900, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows. In turn, the Maltese carrier operates one A319-100, one A321-200, three A330-300s, one A330-900, and six A340-300s. Hi Fly Malta is now the world's second-largest operator of the A340-300, behind only Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt Int'l).
flypop Partners With Hi Fly To Begin Airbus A330 Operations
Getting in on the surging demand for air cargo transportation, flypop has partnered with Hi Fly to begin Airbus A330 services. With the announcement made on Thursday, these services will not have passengers and would instead be fully cargo. Let’s take a look at flypop’s first aircraft.
Zero LOPA cargo operations
LOPA, or the layout of passenger accommodations, is fairly self-explanatory in that it describes the seating configuration for passengers. Thus, when a plane is “zero LOPA,” this means that the aircraft is not configured to host passengers at all.
With this in mind, flypop proudly announced a partnership with Portugese wet lease firm Hi Fly to commence zero LOPA cargo operations.
In a statement, (Nino) Navdip Singh Judge, CEO & Principal of flypop, commented:
“This is another major milestone in the flypop journey as we have inducted the first of our four aircraft. We hope our cargo routes will assist with the global demand for cargo and help to alleviate cargo shortages for the Christmas holidays and beyond.”
flypop notes that Hi Fly is the largest widebody aircraft wet lease specialist in the world and has Air Operator Certificates in Portugal and Malta, with license to operate globally. Hi Fly operates a large fleet of all Airbus aircraft, which include the Airbus A320, A330, and A340. Hi Fly also gained fame for being the only carrier ever to acquire a used A380 to use for passenger services.
The aircraft
Registered as 9H-POP, flypop’s A330 is an eight-and-a-half-year-old Airbus A330-300. Originally operated by Cebu Pacific, the jet was first configured with 436 seats in a single-class, all-economy layout. However, with flypop looking to commence zero LOPA operations, the airline will not have any seats installed on this first aircraft for the time being.
According to RadarBox.com, the aircraft is currently flying from Hi Fly’s home airport of Beja in Portugal to the Western Canadian city of Edmonton.
Hi Fly is a widebody wet lease specialist. Photo: Nino Judge via Twitter
Passenger services will follow soon
It should be noted that cargo operations aren’t flypop’s main mission. Indeed, the UK startup carrier was launched with the goal of offering low-cost flights between the UK and parts of India. However, global conditions for travel have served to stifle this part of the airline’s launch. In a statement, flypop said:
“flypop plans to commence its first passenger services between London Stansted and India once the global pandemic situation becomes clearer. Several destinations on the Indian subcontinent are currently being considered including Amritsar, Hyderabad, Goa, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Kochi and Chandigarh.”
flypop adds that it is “focused on serving the Indian and South Asian diaspora communities living in the UK and their visiting friends and relatives.” The airline says that its newly announced cargo-focused partnership with Hi Fly is the “most effective way to start flying operations…until the frequency cap on UK-India flights is increased.”
Although a UK-India passenger service is high on the list, the airline has goals of eventually serving other markets with ambitions to one day serve Africa, South America, and the US.
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.
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:
Hi Fly Malta (HFM, Malta Int'l) completed the previously announced retirement of its only A380-800, 9H-MIP (msn 6), on December 15, 2020.
The Airbus quadjet operated its last ever commercial services between December 9 and December 15, ferrying medical supplies from Seoul Incheon and Shanghai Pudong to Hamburg Helmut Schmidt. On December 15, the aircraft was repositioned from the German airport to Berau, the base of Hi Fly Malta's parent Hi Fly (5K, Beja). It will be ferried for part-out on December 17, 2020.
The 14.1-year-old aircraft was initially delivered to Singapore Airlines (SQ, Singapore Changi). The ch-aviation fleets history module shows that it was retired by the Singaporean carrier in November 2017 and subsequently added by Hi Fly in July 2018. It was the world's only A380-800 active in the second-hand market. The Maltese ACMI/charter specialist initially operated the quadjet for passenger charters (including briefly for Norwegian due to the B787s' Rolls-Royce Trent engine issues) before removing the passenger seats and converting it to a makeshift freighter during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite the conversion and a spike in demand for cargo, the aircraft only sporadically operated cargo flights.
Following the retirement of Hi Fly Malta's A380, the number of operators of the type across the world has now dropped to 12. More than half of all A380s are operated by Emirates (EK, Dubai Int'l), which is also the only airline that actively uses a significant number of the quadjets on its scheduled flights. China Southern Airlines (CZ, Guangzhou) and Korean Air (KE, Seoul Incheon) deploy a very limited number of their A380s, while the remaining nine operators have parked their entire A380 fleets.
Portuguese wet lease carrier Hi Fly is set to retire its only Airbus A380 aircraft later this year. The aircraft is unique in that it is the only A380 to have been used in a second-hand capacity, rather than being scrapped. The retirement will come as a blow to the already non-existent second-hand A380 market.
Wet lease specialist Hi Fly will be retiring its only A380 when the lease period ends. Photo: Getty Images
Hi Fly today revealed that its sole Airbus A380, 9H-MIP, will be retired at the end of its three year lease period. According to Planespotters.net, the aircraft was delivered to Hi Fly in July 2018. However, it was withdrawn from use by Singapore Airlines on November 6th, 2017.
It seems as though COVID has killed the Hi Fly Airbus A380 as the airline stated the decision not to renew its contract was a direct result of the current pandemic. The demand for enormous aircraft is currently non-existent. Hi Fly will replace the A380 with A330 aircraft. The carrier says that these are smaller and more adequate for current market conditions.
About 9H-MIP
9H-MIP was just the sixth Airbus A380 to be built by Airbus. The aircraft took its first flight in November 2006, before Singapore Airlines took delivery of the aircraft in March 2008. As such, the aircraft is now 14 years old.
The aircraft was delivered to Hi Fly in July 2018. Photo: Getty Images
Why don’t airlines want the A380?
Before the current pandemic, the A380 was already somewhat unpopular with airlines due to its gas-guzzling nature. The aircraft is not nearly as efficient as new twinjet widebodies. However, the sizeable cavernous cabin could be hard to suitably fill on all but the highest demand routes at the best of times.
COVID-19 has put pressure on the type in terms of retirements. Air France was the first airline to scrap its entire fleet of A380 aircraft earlier this year. Meanwhile, Lufthansa has scrapped half of its fleet, with the other half potentially not returning.
