Multi-million-pound deal signed between Global Airlines and EFW for A380 heavy maintenance

Good news for Global Airlines, which plans to be the all-new, all-Airbus A380 airline as it confirms it has signed a multi-million Euro deal with global MRO specialist, Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), to perform the base maintenance inspection on the airline's first owned double decked super jumbo.

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, before the planned start of commercial operations during 2025.

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.”

It was only at 15.54 local time on 30th April that the aircraft, led by Commander Carlos Mirpuri and a crew of three, departed from the Mojave Air & Space Port in California, for the 5-hour and 40-minute flight to Montreal Mirabel International Airport. The massive A380 was refuelled before heading across the Atlantic, direct to Prestwick, where it landed on runway 30 at 17:00 local. The flight itself created significant local and online attention and was the most viewed flight of the day on Flight Radar with almost 40,000 viewers at its peak. 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.

“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.”