Global Airlines
has confirmed that its Airbus A380 has completed its first engine test runs while the aircraft is undergoing maintenance in Dresden, Germany.
First engine roars
In a statement to Simple Flying, Global Airlines said that its A380
, registered as 9H-GLOBL, underwent engine test runs as the aircraft continues to progress through its maintenance program at Elbe Flugzeugwerke’s (EFW) facilities in Dresden, Germany.
James Asquith, the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Global Airlines, noted that it was exciting to hear those engine runs last week. Behind the scenes, hundreds of people have been working hard on the heavy maintenance of the airframe, which is no small task on an A380, Asquith added.
Photo: Global Airlines
“Our first aircraft came to EFW in October for heavy maintenance and the team has done an amazing job in Dresden to take 9H-GLOBL another step closer to passenger operations.”
Asquith teased that while things have been progressing behind closed doors at EFW, a joint venture between Airbus
and Singapore-based ST Engineering, those doors will soon open, possibly hinting at another announcement in due time.
The startup airline ferried 9H-GLOBL to Dresden Airport (DRS) in October 2024. Since then, the aircraft has been undergoing heavy maintenance before the airline’s planned operations launch date sometime in 2025.
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Resuming A380 maintenance services
Global Airlines and EFW announced their partnership agreement in September 2024, with the German maintenance provider saying that it will conduct heavy airframe maintenance services.
“EFW will be responsible for all scheduled maintenance, including mandatory inspections and component replacements.”
For the German company, the contract marked a return to maintaining A380s, as highlighted by EFW, noting that it has received more A380 maintenance orders from various customers, resulting in expanded aircraft of the type activities from 2025 onwards. EFW said that Qantas
would send its A380 for maintenance to its facilities in Dresden, where the aircraft will arrive on January 14.
Photo: EFW
Jordi Boto, the CEO of EFW, said at that time that with the company’s experience with the airframe, EFW was excited to re-establish its maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) activities for the double-decker.
Meanwhile, Asquith added that Global Airlines joining forces with EFW was the next significant step in its quest to see its first A380 in the sky. The carrier had overcome significant hurdles over the past 12 months and was now advancing its proposition, partnerships, team, and operational readiness, the founder and CEO said in September 2024.
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Launching operations in 2025
In June 2024, when the airline announced its partnership with Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, a US-based law firm, Global Airlines said that it would launch flights next year. In late 2024, the company held cabin crew recruitment days in Barcelona and Lisbon.
Photo: Global Airlines
In January, the airline said that it would match the status of any airline or alliance loyalty program for two years, with Asquith noting that it will not take its passengers’ loyalty for granted.
9H-GLOBL is a former China Southern Airlines airframe, with the Chinese carrier retiring the type in August 2023. The aircraft, manufacturer serial number (MSN) 120, was stored at Mojave Air & Space Port (MHV) between December 2022 and April 2024, when it was moved to Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK) with its gear down across the Atlantic Ocean.
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