Global Airlines' Airbus A380 Finally Has Its Own Livery

By?John Pullen

Usually, when startups form in the airline industry, they take shape as low-cost carriers designed to offer competitive fares compared to their full-service rivals. These ambitious carriers tend to order small, narrowbody aircraft to operate short and medium-haul trips. This combination has proven to be a successful combination for some of the world's largest and most successful airline industry disruptors.

However, Global Airlines is an exception to this trend. The start-up carrier plans to operate long-haul flights. While this by itself would not be very notable, the carrier plans to operate a fleet exclusively composed of Airbus A380 aircraft. These airplanes, known as "super jumbos," are the world's largest commercial jets. The A380's sheer size means it can carry an incredibly large number of passengers, but is limited in the markets it can serve.

While this business model might seem too ambitious, the carrier has just reached a major milestone as it works to launch operations. Global Airlines' first fully-painted Airbus A380 was rolled out of the paint shop, ditching the hybrid livery it sported from a previous operator in favor of a brand-new design. The A380 is now one step closer to entering commercial operations with the startup.

Global's first A380 has a new look

Global Airlines' first Airbus A380 in the company's paint was revealed last week. Prior to this redesign, the aircraft sported a hybrid logo. The livery of its previous operator, China Southern Airlines , was still present. The aircraft still sported the Chinese carrier's blue stripe down the fuselage, which clashed with the Global branding added before the aircraft could undergo a full redesign.

In a post on LinkedIn, the airline's Founder and Chief Executive Officer celebrated the new design. He explained that it took a long time to schedule the A380's painting job, but expressed enthusiasm for its new branding:

Changing the livery on the a380, with a tail that is 79ft high is no small task, and from being mocked that we weren’t changing it (we always were, it’s just a lengthy process - if you try finding a paint-shop for an a380 for example, it could be a 2 year wait (!!)), to late night procrastination wondering just what exactly that logo was on the old livery…our beautiful relationship of red and blue comes to an end.

Now, the A380 features the airline's name stretched across its forward fuselage. Meanwhile, its tail is decorated with a globe stylized with a gold swoop, and placed against an eye-catching red background. Though most details about the carrier's launch are still unknown, this milestone marks one more step towards the start of commercial service for the upstart airline.

Doubt still surrounds Global Airlines' long-term viability

The Airbus A380 is a massive and expensive plane to operate. Because it requires high passenger volumes to be profitable, and can only serve a handful of airports across the world due to its size, some wonder if an all-A380 airline can ever be profitable. Despite the controversy, Founder James Asquith has persisted in his optimism behind the airline's prospects.

Global might have some advantages. Startup carriers tend to have significantly lower operating costs than incumbents. If leveraged correctly, it could become a popular choice for budget-conscious travelers aiming to travel long distances. While little is known about the airline's positioning, it has expressed a goal to revolutionize commercial flying.

Regardless of its fleet type and strategy, Global will be up against plenty of barriers to entry in today's industry. Airlines have won customer loyalty thanks to global networks, expansive itinerary options through codesharing and partnerships, and enhanced passenger benefits through credit cards. An airline of limited scale like Global has a lot of work to do to win customer loyalty and earn profitability in today's industry.