Hi Fly ferries first Global Airlines’ A380 to Portugal

The Hi Fly team has successfully ferried the first Global Airlines Airbus A380-841, registered as 9H-GLOBL, from Dresden, Germany, to Beja, Portugal, over a distance of 1,240 nautical miles. The three-hour journey was commanded by Carlos Mirpuri, Vice-Chairman of the Hi Fly Group, who had previously led similar missions, including flights from Mojave Desert Airport to Prestwick in May, and from Prestwick to Dresden in October of the previous year.

Upon landing in Beja, Commander Mirpuri reflected on the experience: “The A380 is a technological marvel. Nothing compares to it. It’s like a spaceship, and despite its impressive size, it’s as responsive as a smaller Airbus. It’s an absolute delight to fly. I’m looking forward to flying this impressive aircraft again when it makes its debut commercial flight with Global Airlines. This marks the culmination of nearly two years of effort, with a dedicated team of experts from Hi Fly and Global working tirelessly to make it happen.”

Hi Fly is part of an exclusive group of only 15 airlines worldwide to have operated the A380, the largest and most advanced passenger aircraft ever constructed. Hi Fly’s technical and operational expertise was a key factor in Global Airlines choosing Hi Fly to assist in reactivating pre-owned A380s that had been preserved at Mojave Desert Airport.

James Asquith, Founder and CEO of Global Airlines, commented: “This is now the fifth flight in the Global Airlines journey, and we are delighted to see the extremely qualified Hi Fly crew taking our first aircraft to the skies once again. At Global Airlines, we strive for the best in everything that we do, and having the experience of Hi Fly on our flight deck is part of that. We’ve only just begun, and there will be plenty more flights in 2025 as Global and Hi Fly continue the work to take the Global aircraft around the world.”

Hi Fly is the largest Airbus wide-body aircraft wet-lease specialist that is EASA and IOSA certified and FAA approved, which has AOC’s in Portugal and Malta, and which is licensed to operate globally. The airline operates a large fleet of all-Airbus aircraft including the Airbus A320, A330 and A340, available for wet-lease and charter, passengers and cargo, on short-, medium- and long-term contracts, worldwide. Customers include airlines, governments, tour operators, freight forward companies, private individuals and the military. This is Hi Fly’s core business and has been developed with unmatched operational expertise over the last 20 years.