"It's leased from the third-party operator Hi-Fly, with the registration 9H-SUN, and is not owned by Global. The choice has raised eyebrows as the A340 family, which first flew in 1991, is a jet more likely to be scrapped in an aircraft boneyard than painted in a fresh livery. Think of it like buying a used car with 200,000 miles on the odometer."
"It was the first major update for the airline since flying its fully owned Airbus A380 - another fuel-hungry quad-engine jet - in May. Global, a privately held startup founded in 2021 with early backing from private investors, has been in and out of the spotlight in a "will they, won't they" survival saga that has analysts questioning its unusual plan to use large, expensive jets across the highly competitive transatlantic corridor."
"Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group, told Business Insider that the A340 is a 'puzzling' choice considering its high operating and maintenance costs. "I've flown on the A340 as a passenger; it's a sound airplane, it's safe," he said. "But it's just not the most logical or cost-efficient aircraft to acquire. A well-suited twin-engine like the Boeing 777 or Airbus A330 would inevitably be less expensive to operate and maintain.""
Global Airlines acquired a 25-year-old Airbus A340 leased from third-party operator Hi-Fly (registration 9H-SUN), and does not own the plane. The A340 and the airline's previously flown Airbus A380 are quad-engine, fuel-hungry widebodies with high operating and maintenance costs. Analysts describe the choice as puzzling and note twin-engine models like the Boeing 777 or Airbus A330 would be more cost-efficient to operate. Global is a privately held startup founded in 2021 with early private backing and has pursued older aircraft at bargain prices, with overall economics partly depending on fuel prices.
Read at Business Insider
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