New Start - Global Airlines
Vilnius -in the dry, probably but exciting for the crew of an aircraft (any of those old nails) that hasn't flown in ages.
"When will any INVESTIGATIVE Journalist ( an oxymoron?) give this lot a good looking-at?"
Not until some punters in the public lose cash - right now it doesn't affect anyone who the mainstream media want to reach/frighten - and you'd have to explain a shed load of acronyms about the Airline business - no-one would read it.
What they're waiting for is "Grannie Scammed By Global Airlines!!"
I'm sure they're got it in mind - it's just a question of feeding them some line & time - or wait for a quiet news day
Not until some punters in the public lose cash - right now it doesn't affect anyone who the mainstream media want to reach/frighten - and you'd have to explain a shed load of acronyms about the Airline business - no-one would read it.
What they're waiting for is "Grannie Scammed By Global Airlines!!"
I'm sure they're got it in mind - it's just a question of feeding them some line & time - or wait for a quiet news day
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Taking a closer look at JETMS, they only announced their hangar in Lithuania in April of this year, and in the press release, had this to say:
QUOTE
Gegams Hanamirjans explains that new and modern Kaunas facilities will allow the company to offer the design and production of cabin interior components for both passenger and cargo aircraft, as well as engineering modifications, in-house engineering services, and customised solutions. “We have brought together a team of commercial aviation experts with over 30 years of total experience, therefore we’re entering this market with confidence and industry know-how.”
UNQUOTE
Now, this may just be a poorly worded press release, but seriously - their experts have '30 years of total experience'?! Is that all?
Sit on the the staff bus at any serious airlines and it usually only takes a dozen passengers to bring together a CENTURY or more of cumulative experience. And here they are claiming THIRTY as a big number? So they have few staff or limited experience?
Sharp learning curve from changing the seat covers in a Learjet to getting an A380 fit for an AOC review. Good luck with that...
QUOTE
Gegams Hanamirjans explains that new and modern Kaunas facilities will allow the company to offer the design and production of cabin interior components for both passenger and cargo aircraft, as well as engineering modifications, in-house engineering services, and customised solutions. “We have brought together a team of commercial aviation experts with over 30 years of total experience, therefore we’re entering this market with confidence and industry know-how.”
UNQUOTE
Now, this may just be a poorly worded press release, but seriously - their experts have '30 years of total experience'?! Is that all?
Sit on the the staff bus at any serious airlines and it usually only takes a dozen passengers to bring together a CENTURY or more of cumulative experience. And here they are claiming THIRTY as a big number? So they have few staff or limited experience?
Sharp learning curve from changing the seat covers in a Learjet to getting an A380 fit for an AOC review. Good luck with that...
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PS I'm assuming that JETMS facility for this work will be Kaunas and NOT Vilnius? Kaunas accounts for 50% of their hangar space, the rest divided between Biggin Hill & Vilnius.
WTM London panel
Latest ..... at TTG - Travel industry news - Transatlantic start-up hints at plans to sell through agents (ttgmedia.com)
"Self-made entrepreneur Asquith.... suggested the transatlantic carrier would launch in spring 2024, although he was non-committal on a date or timeline at WTM London.“Whatever I say I am going to be stuck to a pole and we’ll have to follow through with it,” he said. However, he added: “We know there are challenges for us, but there will be aircraft in the sky sooner than people think.”
Asquith also stressed he recognised Global Airlines would need to “build credibility” before launching. “If I go back two years and say, ‘we’re Global Airlines’, people would say, ‘we can’t find you on the internet, what are you talking about, you’re crazy’,” he remarked.
“Now, we’re getting a lot of support from people at Airbus, the people at the start who said, ‘are you a little bit crazy?’. It has been a big effort to build the credibility – we don’t want to destroy it by saying we want to do this, on this date, and then it gets delayed. It can happen to the biggest and the best in this sector.”
"Self-made entrepreneur Asquith.... suggested the transatlantic carrier would launch in spring 2024, although he was non-committal on a date or timeline at WTM London.“Whatever I say I am going to be stuck to a pole and we’ll have to follow through with it,” he said. However, he added: “We know there are challenges for us, but there will be aircraft in the sky sooner than people think.”
Asquith also stressed he recognised Global Airlines would need to “build credibility” before launching. “If I go back two years and say, ‘we’re Global Airlines’, people would say, ‘we can’t find you on the internet, what are you talking about, you’re crazy’,” he remarked.
“Now, we’re getting a lot of support from people at Airbus, the people at the start who said, ‘are you a little bit crazy?’. It has been a big effort to build the credibility – we don’t want to destroy it by saying we want to do this, on this date, and then it gets delayed. It can happen to the biggest and the best in this sector.”
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Latest ..... at TTG - Travel industry news - Transatlantic start-up hints at plans to sell through agents (ttgmedia.com)
"Self-made entrepreneur Asquith.... suggested the transatlantic carrier would launch in spring 2024, although he was non-committal on a date or timeline at WTM London.“Whatever I say I am going to be stuck to a pole and we’ll have to follow through with it,” he said. However, he added: “We know there are challenges for us, but there will be aircraft in the sky sooner than people think.”
Asquith also stressed he recognised Global Airlines would need to “build credibility” before launching. “If I go back two years and say, ‘we’re Global Airlines’, people would say, ‘we can’t find you on the internet, what are you talking about, you’re crazy’,” he remarked.
“Now, we’re getting a lot of support from people at Airbus, the people at the start who said, ‘are you a little bit crazy?’. It has been a big effort to build the credibility – we don’t want to destroy it by saying we want to do this, on this date, and then it gets delayed. It can happen to the biggest and the best in this sector.”
"Self-made entrepreneur Asquith.... suggested the transatlantic carrier would launch in spring 2024, although he was non-committal on a date or timeline at WTM London.“Whatever I say I am going to be stuck to a pole and we’ll have to follow through with it,” he said. However, he added: “We know there are challenges for us, but there will be aircraft in the sky sooner than people think.”
Asquith also stressed he recognised Global Airlines would need to “build credibility” before launching. “If I go back two years and say, ‘we’re Global Airlines’, people would say, ‘we can’t find you on the internet, what are you talking about, you’re crazy’,” he remarked.
“Now, we’re getting a lot of support from people at Airbus, the people at the start who said, ‘are you a little bit crazy?’. It has been a big effort to build the credibility – we don’t want to destroy it by saying we want to do this, on this date, and then it gets delayed. It can happen to the biggest and the best in this sector.”
It sounds more like their typical namedropping with American Express before. There might be nothing behind it, no agreement or similar. It still looks very much like a hobbyist venture, very unlikely to get close to anything, not even to the financial, legal or organisational basics needed for any airline.
More free PR from someone who should know better
Simon Calder has been writing about the travel business for decades, but didn't do much background checking before putting this up in the Independent last weekend... Note Asquith now has "literally thousands of people in my inbox asking when they can apply to come and work with us."
"A new start-up, Global Airlines, will succeed because passengers, pilots and airports love the Airbus A380: that is the claim from James Asquith, the travel entrepreneur who is creating the new long-haul carrier.
“Everyone says that something can't be done until it's done,” he told The Independent.
Mr Asquith, 34, believes that the world’s biggest airliner will attract passengers and staff even in a highly competitive market. His business plan relies on buying up secondhand A380s at very low prices.
The double-deck jet has not been a commercial success, with far fewer sales than the Boeing 747. By far the biggest operator is Emirates, with more than half the European-built “SuperJumbos” in service. But Air France has retired its fleet of the plane, some of which are being stored at Lourdes airport in southwest France. Other A380s at the end of their initial 10-year leases have been handed back. As a result, the pre-owned jets are going cheap.
Global Airlines bought its first aircraft – of an initial fleet of four – from a German aircraft finance company, Doric Aviation. The price has not been revealed, but is believed to be in the low tens of millions of dollars.
Mr Asquith said: “By not paying $275m plus for an A380, our break-even point is much, much lower.
“Interest and depreciation on a ticket is around 40 per cent of the cost to pay that aircraft back over 15 to 20 years.
“It's a significant chunk of the fee that we've taken out. No lessors, no guns against our head, no debt.
“That allows us to be able to add more in terms of the product and there's more headroom in terms of pricing as well.”
Global Airlines has yet to announce a launch date or confirm destinations, but the founder says the airline could be flying “sooner than you think”. It has teamed up with a Portugal charter carrier, HiFly, which has experience of operating the A380 – and the required licences.
“We're where we need to be,” Mr Asquith said. “The ‘return to service’ work on our first aircraft is almost complete – in the 90 per cent range.”
The main focus will be on transatlantic flying, but the founder promises “some other things – we’ll be revealing all of that pretty shortly”.
Many aviation industry insiders have questioned Global Airlines’ chances of a start-up successfully filling seats on the world’s biggest passenger plane – in a crowded market where existing “legacy” carriers have strong loyalty programmes and networks offering connections.
Critics also point to the high cost of fuelling, crewing and maintaining the giant jet.
“There's obviously challenges with the aircraft,” said Mr Asquith. “Everyone knows that. But there's also huge benefits for passengers.
“It’s a passenger favourite. It’s a crew favourite. It’s a pilot favourite. And obviously an airport favourite as well. People want the largest commercial aircraft in the world.
“If I knew all the challenges with the A380 and what we are doing now, at the start, I wouldn't have changed anything that we're doing.
“The product is what we can do with the A380.”
The carrier makes the bold claim of “revolutionising commercial flying”. Its online pitch reads: “We’ve all suffered for far too long with long security queues, late flights, lost luggage, inedible food and constant poor customer service.
“Global Airlines offers fast relief from the aches and pains associated with commercial air travel. We bring joy at every interaction and delight at every touch point. Take a deep breath, welcome aboard.
“Whether you are flying for business or leisure, Global Airlines do things differently. From catering and customer relations through to scheduling and ground operations. Simply put we are unconstrained by the usual aviation paradigms.”
One constraint Global Airlines will not be able to avoid: recruiting staff. British Airways’ parent company, IAG, recently warned: ”Shortages of licenced engineers with aircraft experience across the aviation sector and in the Group’s airlines combined with aircraft, engines and component shortages are significantly impacting maintenance delivery timelines and may challenge morale.”
But Mr Asquith says: “Crew want very simple things. They want flexibility, they want a good work environment, and yes, of course, good pay and not being overworked.
“I’ve got literally thousands of people in my inbox asking when they can apply to come and work with us.
“It's about creating a culture, creating somewhere that people love to work. The beauty of, in the Seventies, of someone putting on a Pan Am or a TWA uniform and going to work and feeling like a million damn dollars walking through the airport. That's what it could and should be.”
"A new start-up, Global Airlines, will succeed because passengers, pilots and airports love the Airbus A380: that is the claim from James Asquith, the travel entrepreneur who is creating the new long-haul carrier.
“Everyone says that something can't be done until it's done,” he told The Independent.
Mr Asquith, 34, believes that the world’s biggest airliner will attract passengers and staff even in a highly competitive market. His business plan relies on buying up secondhand A380s at very low prices.
The double-deck jet has not been a commercial success, with far fewer sales than the Boeing 747. By far the biggest operator is Emirates, with more than half the European-built “SuperJumbos” in service. But Air France has retired its fleet of the plane, some of which are being stored at Lourdes airport in southwest France. Other A380s at the end of their initial 10-year leases have been handed back. As a result, the pre-owned jets are going cheap.
Global Airlines bought its first aircraft – of an initial fleet of four – from a German aircraft finance company, Doric Aviation. The price has not been revealed, but is believed to be in the low tens of millions of dollars.
Mr Asquith said: “By not paying $275m plus for an A380, our break-even point is much, much lower.
“Interest and depreciation on a ticket is around 40 per cent of the cost to pay that aircraft back over 15 to 20 years.
“It's a significant chunk of the fee that we've taken out. No lessors, no guns against our head, no debt.
“That allows us to be able to add more in terms of the product and there's more headroom in terms of pricing as well.”
Global Airlines has yet to announce a launch date or confirm destinations, but the founder says the airline could be flying “sooner than you think”. It has teamed up with a Portugal charter carrier, HiFly, which has experience of operating the A380 – and the required licences.
“We're where we need to be,” Mr Asquith said. “The ‘return to service’ work on our first aircraft is almost complete – in the 90 per cent range.”
The main focus will be on transatlantic flying, but the founder promises “some other things – we’ll be revealing all of that pretty shortly”.
Many aviation industry insiders have questioned Global Airlines’ chances of a start-up successfully filling seats on the world’s biggest passenger plane – in a crowded market where existing “legacy” carriers have strong loyalty programmes and networks offering connections.
Critics also point to the high cost of fuelling, crewing and maintaining the giant jet.
“There's obviously challenges with the aircraft,” said Mr Asquith. “Everyone knows that. But there's also huge benefits for passengers.
“It’s a passenger favourite. It’s a crew favourite. It’s a pilot favourite. And obviously an airport favourite as well. People want the largest commercial aircraft in the world.
“If I knew all the challenges with the A380 and what we are doing now, at the start, I wouldn't have changed anything that we're doing.
“The product is what we can do with the A380.”
The carrier makes the bold claim of “revolutionising commercial flying”. Its online pitch reads: “We’ve all suffered for far too long with long security queues, late flights, lost luggage, inedible food and constant poor customer service.
“Global Airlines offers fast relief from the aches and pains associated with commercial air travel. We bring joy at every interaction and delight at every touch point. Take a deep breath, welcome aboard.
“Whether you are flying for business or leisure, Global Airlines do things differently. From catering and customer relations through to scheduling and ground operations. Simply put we are unconstrained by the usual aviation paradigms.”
One constraint Global Airlines will not be able to avoid: recruiting staff. British Airways’ parent company, IAG, recently warned: ”Shortages of licenced engineers with aircraft experience across the aviation sector and in the Group’s airlines combined with aircraft, engines and component shortages are significantly impacting maintenance delivery timelines and may challenge morale.”
But Mr Asquith says: “Crew want very simple things. They want flexibility, they want a good work environment, and yes, of course, good pay and not being overworked.
“I’ve got literally thousands of people in my inbox asking when they can apply to come and work with us.
“It's about creating a culture, creating somewhere that people love to work. The beauty of, in the Seventies, of someone putting on a Pan Am or a TWA uniform and going to work and feeling like a million damn dollars walking through the airport. That's what it could and should be.”
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Their "Global Airlines offers fast relief from the aches and pains of flying" quote irritates me every time I read it. I can't say why but suppose it's to do with the fact that they aren't going anywhere particularly fast, and if they ever do it will be extremely painful for all involved...
slast,
I too was amazed at Simon Calder being taken in by Asquith.
He really shouldn't be so gullible, being a 'professional' travel journalist.
I too was amazed at Simon Calder being taken in by Asquith.
He really shouldn't be so gullible, being a 'professional' travel journalist.
Paxing All Over The World
We’ve all suffered for far too long with long security queues, late flights, lost luggage, inedible food and constant poor customer service.
- long security queues Check this with the airport and the politicians who make the rules and the Pax who might prefer to queue long and complain, than pay for more staff at the front.
- late flights Check that ATC or another airline or another airport or bad weather is not involved. If it's none of those - you might be able to do something.
- lost luggage Did the origin airport staff do everything right? They will all be contracted to other people including 'your uniformed staff' who checked them in. Check the bag handlers and their system. Then check the bag handlers at destination and their system.
- inedible food Hooray! You can fix this. Just charge pax enough money.
- constant poor customer service Make sure that all sub-contracted staff have YOUR customer as their focus because they might be more focused on getting your pax through the system in the limited time they have been given. Then they have another 10 flights to get through before the end of their shift. Not sure how you will do this as very few have managed it thus far and they have big operations. Also, make sure that your IT systems and 'app' are the very best and always work well, again, all you have to do is pay well and give good working conditions to people who understand IT, coz I suspect that you don't. Make sure that you have enough staff on the floor of the airport, at the gate, on board and in the HQ. Really, this one is a cinch, just pay for good, experienced staff and then allow them to fix the customer's problem, without saying they must check with a manager or that the rules do not allow them to issue a refund or even a voucher for a cup of tea whilst they wait.
Last edited by PAXboy; 14th Nov 2023 at 22:15.
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Completely agree, PAXboy.
If Global does get off the ground, how does he propose he will eliminate late flights if one of his A380's goes tech in New York?
At least with most major airlines, they will have another flight later on that day or will try and rebook you on one of their alliance partners. With Global it could be a heck of a wait for another spare aircraft to get over the pond and get you home.
Under promise, over deliver Mr Asquith. Not the other way around. Control the controllables.
If Global does get off the ground, how does he propose he will eliminate late flights if one of his A380's goes tech in New York?
At least with most major airlines, they will have another flight later on that day or will try and rebook you on one of their alliance partners. With Global it could be a heck of a wait for another spare aircraft to get over the pond and get you home.
Under promise, over deliver Mr Asquith. Not the other way around. Control the controllables.
His other company www.holidayswap.com is a gem, been doing a reverse search on some of the many many properties he claims to have listed... its not impressive.
The who thing smells of a ponzi scheme to me. Been looking at some places in south Florida, a area we often go on holiday to, the listings are sparse to say the least and some of the address is written in Turkish.
I will be very surprised if this does not turn into another Theranos Inc
The who thing smells of a ponzi scheme to me. Been looking at some places in south Florida, a area we often go on holiday to, the listings are sparse to say the least and some of the address is written in Turkish.
I will be very surprised if this does not turn into another Theranos Inc
Holidayswap
Brian, see Holiday Swap's property listings raise questions | PaxEx.Aero and my comment beneath. I've been in correspondence touch with Seth Miller on this.
Brian, see Holiday Swap's property listings raise questions | PaxEx.Aero and my comment beneath. I've been in correspondence touch with Seth Miller on this.
Forwarded it to a contact in Private Eye, lets hope they can do some digging.