Global Airlines Ordered Into Liquidation: What’s Next For Its Lone Airbus A380?

Credit: Global Airlines, Simple Flying Published Nov 13, 2026, 10:30 AM EST Louis is a military historian and the staff writer for History of War magazine, a leading military history monthly. He also has an interest in private and commercial aviation. Sign in to your Simple Flying account The Gazette has given official notice that Global Airlines has been forced into compulsory liquidation through a winding-up order. This order was given on November 4, but it has not been confirmed in the official public record until today. The main asset owned by Global Air is its single Airbus A380, which is currently in long-term storage at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées Airport (LDE). We can expect this to be sold off by court-appointed liquidators. Simple Flying has contacted Global Airlines for further comment. The Ruling Made By British Courts In the UK, individuals can apply to the courts to have a company liquidated. This applies if a company cannot pay its debts. Such a petition was made against Global Airlines. Several hearings have been held in court while the judiciary figures out what should be done with the Airbus plane, with the most recent one being in October. The case featured a number of supporting creditors, the term for individuals and organizations who are owed money and are supporting the case against the business. Supporting creditors in this case included Tom Stokely and Prashant Uttamchandani, both of whom are former Global Airlines company directors. They were represented by the law firm Katten Muchin Rosenman and successfully secured a winding-up order. An official receiver will have been assigned to the case. Their job is to sell off any assets owned by the business. James Asquith remains a director of Global Airlines. He will have had up to five working days to apply for a winding-up order cancellation. Given the report in The Gazette, we can assume that this was not done. What Might Happen To The Airline's Sole Aircraft Credit: AV8 Photos | Shutterstock The airline had a fleet of one aircraft, an A380 with the registration 9H-GLOBL, according to Planespotters.net data. This aircraft arrived in the fleet in January 2024 and was operated for a short time under its ownership by Hi Fly Malta. The wet lease allowed the airline to charter a small number of flights between the UK and New York. The jet is currently held in storage at LDE. The table below shows a step-by-step guide of what happens in UK law when a company enters compulsory liquidation: 1 The company enters compulsory liquidation. 2 The directors lose control of company affairs. 3 The official receiver investigates the company's financial position, debts, and more. 4 Assets are secured 5 Creditors receive official notice and are invited to submit claims related to any debts they have. 6 Employees are dismissed, and compensation entitlements are worked out. 7 Assets are sold, and the proceeds are distributed. Recouping money from this enormous asset will not be as simple as putting it on the market. The reason that the aircraft has been in storage at LDE since July 2025 is that it was awaiting an expensive and mandatory 12-year D-check. Any buyer of the aircraft will have to absorb the cost before they can operate it. The Winding Up Order Means Global Airlines Will Never Realise Its Ambition Credit: Evan El-Amin | Shutterstock Global Airlines may have been one of the strangest and most flawed start-ups in aviation history, but that does not mean it had no ambition. According to Global Airlines' First Flights webpage, the carrier had plans to fly to the Maldives, Toronto, Vancouver, and Mexico City. The most publicized plan was for flights between the UK and the Maldives. Asquith described the location as "my dream holiday." He hoped that Global Airlines could wedge itself into a gap in the market, because of the relatively small number of flights available to the Maldives from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) Another ambition that Global Airlines will now never realize is its hope to grow its fleet. In 2025, the airline put its livery on an Airbus A340 operated by Hi-Fly. However, this was purely for promotional purposes, and the airline never got close to actually owning a second aircraft.