Global Airlines Only Airbus A380 Returns to Storage, Why?

LONDON— Global Airlines (GL) is sending its only Airbus A380 back to storage in Tarbes, France (LDE), after completing just two return flights between Glasgow (GLA) and New York (JFK).

The airline confirmed with Simple Flying that the aircraft will remain parked until it undergoes the next phase of heavy maintenance.

The A380, registered as 9H-GLOBL, was operated by Hi Fly (5K) on behalf of Global Airlines, marking one of the rare second-hand uses of the superjumbo.

The plane’s return to storage rekindles industry attention on the limited viability of second-hand A380s.

Photo: James Asquith Founder & CEO at Global Airlines

Global Airlines A380 Returns to Storage

Global Airlines briefly drew attention earlier in 2025 as the only active operator of a second-hand Airbus A380 besides Hi Fly, which had itself struggled with the model’s economics.

The A380’s limited commercial flights—primarily between the UK and the US—did little to revive broader interest in the type’s secondary market potential.

After its May 2025 transatlantic services, the aircraft was ferried to Dresden, Germany (DRS) for maintenance and test flights. On July 16, 2025, it departed Dresden at 14:13 local time and landed in Tarbes at 16:03, following a 1 hour 50-minute flight.

Tarbes is known for long-term aircraft storage, raising questions about the aircraft’s short-term operational future, despite reassurances from Global Airlines.

The airline commented:

“After completing the latest maintenance in Dresden, 9H-GLOBL will be heading to Tarbes to park until it is time to head off to the next stage of heavy maintenance… it won’t be long before it is up in the clouds once again.”

Photo: James Asquith Founder & CEO at Global Airlines

A380’s Limited Flying Record with Global Airlines

Since being registered in Malta on February 2, 2024, 9H-GLOBL has amassed only 62 hours of flight time across just 20 operational days in nearly 18 months. Notable flights included:

• A ferry flight from Mirabel, Montreal (YMX) to Glasgow (PIK), completed with the landing gear down due to testing constraints.
• Several positioning and charter flights across Beja (BYJ), Barcelona (BCN), Berlin (BER), London Gatwick (LGW), Manchester (MAN), and transatlantic crossings to New York (JFK).

The aircraft’s New York services—initially seen as a testbed for future transatlantic operations—were limited, with only four days dedicated to these routes. This sporadic usage pattern illustrates the commercial challenges of integrating such a large aircraft into a modern fleet without a robust network strategy.

Photo: spotter.ice

Tarbes: Final Stop or Temporary Pause?

Tarbes Airport (LDE) currently houses 15 other Airbus A380s in storage, with eight having already been scrapped.

Among the stored aircraft are retired units from Air France (AF), Malaysia Airlines (MH), and Lufthansa (LH). Hi Fly’s own former A380, MSN 6, also resides here after its second-hand charter venture proved unsustainable.

Although Global Airlines insists that 9H-GLOBL will return to service, the timeline remains unclear. Given the aircraft’s storage location and previous operators’ difficulties with second-hand A380s, aviation observers remain skeptical about its operational comeback.

ALSO READ: Tarmac Aerosave to Scrap Three Airbus A380 Aircraft for Spare Parts

Photo: Clément Alloing

The Airbus A380’s Market Challenges

The Airbus A380, introduced in 2007 with Singapore Airlines (SQ) as the launch customer, remains a symbol of luxury and scale. However, its secondary market continues to falter due to:

• High operational costs.
• Infrastructure limitations at airports.
• Limited demand for such high-capacity aircraft post-pandemic.

These constraints have confined the A380 mostly to primary operators like Emirates (EK), which have tailored networks and demand profiles to accommodate the superjumbo.

Global Airlines’ future plans for its sole A380 remain uncertain, but any revival would require strategic foresight, consistent demand, and significant investment in maintenance.

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