Global Airlines, the new all A380 airline, announced it has teamed up with global MRO specialist, Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), signing a multi-million Euro deal to perform the base maintenance inspection that will enable return to commercial service for its first fully acquired aircraft. 9H-GLOBL will soon fly to Dresden where it will undergo all necessary maintenance, including mandatory inspections and component replacements, before repositioning within Europe for an interior overhaul, ahead of starting operations in 2025.
The aircraft, that flew from the Mojave Desert in California to Prestwick International Airport on 1 May, will now take its next step towards starting operations as the Global project reaches the next stage of development. Extensive return to service work has already been carried out as the aircraft continues its journey back to the skies. Global Airlines and EFW are now working closely with Airbus on flight conditions and the tasks that will be required for the major maintenance. This will now be undertaken as part of a comprehensive deal with EFW.
James Asquith, CEO and founder of Global Airlines said: “Joining forces with EFW is the next significant step in our quest to seeing our first A380 in the sky. 9H-GLOBL’s journey back to the skies has taken yet another significant step forward and I am excited to see our first aircraft fly to Dresden for this work to progress. We have overcome significant hurdles over the past 12 months, and we are now very much advancing our proposition, partnerships, team and operational readiness and our partnership with EFW is the latest giant leap forward. I am looking forward to being in Dresden and seeing the work underway.”
“We are glad to support the renaissance of the A380 with our capabilities and maintenance services,” says Jordi Boto, CEO EFW. “We have supported this special aircraft over the years, and we are excited to re-establish our MRO activities on the A380. We really look forward to supporting our new customer Global Airlines with its first A380 and to seeing more aircraft of this type back in the sky.”
Jordi Boto, CEO of EFW said: “Given our years of experience in servicing the A380, we are excited to re-establish our MRO activities for this unique aircraft. We look forward to supporting our new customer Global Airlines with its first A380 and seeing more aircraft of this type back in the sky.”
Global Airlines is currently working closely with Airbus and various other partners on the planning that will enable 9H-GLOBL to fly to Dresden in the coming weeks. After the work has been carried out, the aircraft will then continue its journey repositioning once more within Europe to undergo an extensive cabin refurbishment, before the first commercial operations in 2025.