LONDON, November 13, 2026 — Global Airlines, the British startup that promised luxury transatlantic travel aboard Airbus A380s, has been ordered into compulsory liquidation after completing just two return passenger trips to New York.
The High Court made the winding-up order on November 4. The notice, published in The Gazette on November 12, names Official Receiver V Prime as liquidator.
Founder James Asquith had continued discussing a return to flying this year. In June, he said the A380 would fly again before the end of 2026, with plans for a second aircraft and services between Britain and the Maldives, according to Upgraded Points.
The publication reported on November 12 that neither Asquith nor Global Airlines had publicly commented on the liquidation order.
Court Order Follows Creditor Petition
The Gazette notice identifies the company as Global Airlines Ltd, registration number 13508008, and records that the winding-up petition was filed on May 29, 2026.
The case was heard in the High Court of Justice under reference 004213 of 2026. The Official Receiver’s appointment took effect on November 4, the same day as the order.
The notice does not disclose the amount owed to creditors or explain what led to the company’s financial difficulties.
Upgraded Points identified the petitioner as US-based creditor Jessica Huffman Reese and reported that two earlier petitions had been withdrawn.
A380 Ambitions Ended With Two New York Trips
Global Airlines sold tickets for charter return trips from Glasgow and Manchester to New York JFK in May 2025. Hi Fly operated the flights because the startup did not have its own Air Operator Certificate. A regular scheduled service never followed.
The aircraft at the centre of those plans, the former China Southern A380 registered 9H-GLOBL, has been parked at Tarbes in southern France since July 2025.
Asquith had made the superjumbo central to his pitch from the outset. Asked about the choice at the Dubai Airshow in 2023, he told Upgraded Points that he had “considered other aircraft for about 10 minutes.”
The liquidation drew disappointment from aviation journalist Andrew Kunesh, who wrote in PNM Now: “I was hoping Global Airlines would pan out”.
Kunesh pointed to the difficulty of filling hundreds of seats, operating four engines and having no spare aircraft when maintenance takes the only jet out of service.
The court notice names the liquidator but gives no details of a sale or other arrangements for 9H-GLOBL. For creditors awaiting payment, it also provides no figure for the funds available to settle claims.
In other UK aviation news, British Airways flight BA431 was reported to have suffered a tail strike during a landing attempt at Heathrow on November 12.
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