Flyglobespan was a Scottish low-cost airline based in Edinburgh, Scotland.[1] It operated scheduled services from five airports across Scotland, England and Ireland to destinations in Europe, North America, North Africa and South Africa. Its main bases were Glasgow Airport, Edinburgh Airport, Aberdeen Airport and Liverpool Airport. The airline's slogan was "Award-winning airline". It went into administration due to financial problems and the airline declared bankruptcy on 16 December 2009.[2]
Because of the administration, Flyglobespan cancelled all of its scheduled flights.[3] On 14 December 2010, the business was declared to be in liquidation.
Globespan, an Edinburgh-based tour operator with over 30 years' experience, already offered scheduled and charter flights, cruise travel, rail and coach travel, motorhome and car rental, and hotel accommodation tailored for holidaymakers visiting destinations in Canada, the USA and Spain. The scheduled flights, mainly to Canada, were operated by Air Transat from airports throughout the UK, with Globespan acting as the booking agent and selling the flights under its own brand. In summer 2002 a similar arrangement was trialled between Edinburgh and Nice, in the south of France. This was to prove successful for Globespan, and led to the creation of its own no-frills brand, 'Flyglobespan'.
Services began in 2003 with aircraft and crews provided by Channel Express, though under the Flyglobespan brand with red and white livery, offering irregular flights to European holiday destinations. The offshoot proved successful and flight frequencies were increased. At this point, the operator relocated from Prestwick to the larger Glasgow Airport, which is much closer to the population centres of Central Scotland, within months of commencing operation. In 2004 so it could operate its own aircraft, the Globespan Group bought the defunct airline operator Cougar Leasing along with its Civil Aviation Authority of the United Kingdom (CAA) Aircraft Operating Certificate. Now with its own Operating Licence, expansion was swift for the new airline. New destinations were added to the network, including Prague, where the airline faced competition from Czech Airlines, and further points in Spain, including the Canary Islands. CSA withdrew its Glasgow to Prague service on 1 August 2005.
By March 2005 the airline had grown to offer 15 destinations across Europe, with a fleet of nine aircraft—of which three were leased from new—and had tripled its passenger numbers to 1.5 million annually. Profits for the year ending October 2004 had risen from £2m in its first year to £3.7m, on a turnover of £98m.[citation needed]
BBC'sWatchdog programme featured the airline for a second time on 28 November 2007, where the airline was primarily featured for complaints due to a flight stopping 600 miles before its destination because the cabin crew were up to their safety limit in working hours. The CAA's suspension of the airline's ETOPS licence was also featured.[citation needed]
Domestic services
In May 2005 the first domestic services were launched, with twice-daily flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh to London Stansted - routes that were already operated by the much larger low fares carrier easyJet, with much higher frequencies. However, these services were withdrawn in February 2006, together with plans to serve Bournemouth from Edinburgh.
Fuel costs
Despite high fuel costs and intense competition in the no-frills market, the airline continued to expand. Flights from London Stansted commenced in October 2005, though a new daily service between Glasgow and Amsterdam, replacing the twice-daily easyJet service between the two cities, was withdrawn in June 2006 due to low passenger numbers.
On 1 November 2005 Flyglobespan announced its first long-haul service, from Glasgow to Orlando Sanford International Airport in Florida, US. The service commenced in June 2006 and was operated by a Boeing 767 aircraft in a three-class configuration. The three classes were Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class which included 50-inch sleeper seats, 'gourmet' food, and wines. Alicante and Málaga services were upgraded to twice-daily throughout the summer for 2006, and Murcia was served daily. Fuerteventura was added to the winter 2006 schedule. Weekly services linking Glasgow with Athens and Heraklion were launched in May 2006 for the summer season. In January 2006 Flyglobespan announced a 70 per cent rise in pre-tax profits from the previous year.[citation needed]
In June 2006 the airline announced plans to operate from Aberdeen Airport after 24-hour airport operation there had been confirmed. The first route to operate from Aberdeen was Tenerife, which commenced in winter 2006. It also announced routes to Alicante, Barcelona, Faro, Murcia, Palma and Paphos, which commenced in summer 2007.
Long-haul expansion
Liverpool was added to the Flyglobespan network from November 2006, with flights to Tenerife. Also added is Liverpool's first connection with Hamilton/John C. Munro International Airport from May 2007. The airline also began Liverpool's first long-haul flight, to New York (JFK), using Boeing 757-200 aircraft, daily in May 2007. However, after a long series of problems with the service, due largely to reliability problems with the route's sole aircraft, which resulted in repeated massive delays on the service[4] Flyglobespan announced in early July that they would abandon the route in October of the same year, only six months after the service's inception.[5]
Flights to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada from Manchester started in November, with two of the three weekly flights. It also commenced a three times a week service from Manchester to Cape Town, South Africa on 4 November 2006, but this service was withdrawn at the end of the 2007 Summer season.
Flyglobespan started new services in May 2007 from Hamilton/John C. Munro International Airport, Canada to destinations in the UK and Ireland, including Doncaster-Sheffield Airport; this was the first scheduled transatlantic flight to operate from the airport. Hamilton Airport is located between Toronto and nearby Niagara Falls,[6] about 75 kilometres southwest, or an hour's drive from, Toronto's main Pearson International Airport. Hamilton Airport is about one hour away from Toronto's city centre whereas Pearson International Airport is about thirty minutes away.
Flyglobespan commenced services in May 2007 from Ireland West Airport to John F. Kennedy International Airport with three services a week, and Boston Logan International Airport twice a week. Some flights from Knock to New York made unscheduled refuelling stops at a number of remote locations including Keflavik, Iceland (though this is an exception, when they stopped at a major hub); Bangor, Maine; Stephenville and St. John's, Newfoundland. These refueling stops were scheduled when a 737-800 was used instead of the usual 757-200.
In 2007 Flyglobespan had its Skytrax rating withdrawn and suspended, owing to "product and service inconsistency". The airline did not regain its rating.[7]
Financial difficulties
In July 2008 Globespan lost its ability to get insurance industry credit card repayment cover, before the collapse of Zoom and XL. From that point, credit card clearing company E-Clear, whose CEO was Elias Elia, rather than paying the normal amounts of cash to Globespan, argued that in certain cases passengers could make valid claims against them via the credit card companies up to six months after having taken their flight. E-Clear hence held a greater amount of money paid through them to Globespan.[8]
By October 2009 the amount of money owed by E-Clear to Globespan was in dispute; Globespan later claimed it to be £35m. After various discussions, Globespan asked E-Clear to agree to independent audit of the sums, which was turned down by E-Clear. Also at this point, Halcyon Investments—the operational arm of an August 2008 Jersey-based trust fund—offered to make a large investment in Globespan. Halcyon's investors included Elias Elia.[8]
In November 2009 The Independent on Sunday reported that Flyglobespan had required a 'last-ditch cash injection' as a result of cash flow difficulties caused following delays in payment by a credit card clearing company, E-Clear.[9]
Concerns regarding the future of the airline resurfaced on 13 December 2009 when several newspapers reported that Flyglobespan had so far been unsuccessful in obtaining regulatory approval for the funding package from Halcyon Investments. The Guardian suggested that Halcyon Investments was controlled by E-Clear.[10] The company stated it had "secured a financial investment package that will see Scotland's leading airline continue to prosper and grow".
End of operation
The Globespan Group PLC, Globespan Airways Limited and Alba Ground Handling Limited ceased operations on 16 December 2009 and were placed into administration on 17 December with PricewaterhouseCoopers appointed as the administrator. The last flight was GSM706 from Hurghada to Glasgow which landed at 2230 on 16 December.
On 19 January 2010 a High Court judge granted an administration order, following a request from PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC), against credit card processing firm E-Clear UK[11] which handled all of Globespan's credit card transactions.
Bruce Cartwright, Joint Administrator, of PricewaterhouseCoopers stated after E-Clear UK's Administration that it was clear the funds withheld from the Globespan Group were no longer there.[12]
Destinations
It was announced in July 2007 that the Liverpool to New York and the Ireland West Airport service would be suspended for the winter season from 30 October. The company gave the reason as poor passenger figures on the Liverpool flights, particularly inbound passengers from the United States. The passenger figures for Ireland West Airport were higher than expected. The company also admitted to providing a poor operating service since the route was launched on 25 May 2007, which affected the passenger figures. The route was to recommence for the Summer 2008 season.[13] The poor operating service was compounded by some PR failures and sub-standard customer service.[14][15]
It was announced on 18 October 2007 that the CAA had suspended Flyglobespan's ETOPS certificate, the first time in 15 years a UK operator has lost ETOPS approval. This effectively meant Flyglobespan transatlantic flights were forced to adopt a flight path which never took the aircraft more than an hour away from the nearest airport, in case of engine problems. However, this only applied to Flyglobespan's own aircraft and leased-in aircraft could continue to follow ETOPS rules as these are operated by other airlines with their own ETOPS approval.[16] Flyglobespan's ETOPS rating was reinstated at a CAA hearing on 26 October 2007.
Flyglobespan operated services to the Falkland Islands and Ascension Island on behalf of the UK Government. This was in support of the military and civilian communities of those islands, and involved long-haul flights between RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, RAF Ascension Island, and RAF Mount Pleasant on East Falkland. These flights were taken over by Air Italy on a temporary basis, before another airline puts in for a permanent basis.[17]
The company also operated flights for the UK Ministry of Defence between RAF Brize Norton and staging posts in the Middle East in support of the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
As of 16 December 2009, Flyglobespan's average fleet age was 6.3 years, prior to ceasing operations.[19]
Flyglobespan announced in August 2006 that it would lease two Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners from the International Lease Finance Corporation for ten years, to be delivered in March and November 2011.[20] Due to the administration placed on 16 December 2009, the orders were cancelled.
First Choice Airways Limited was a British charter airline of European tour operator TUI Travel plc, based in Crawley, England until its merger with Thomsonfly to form Thomson Airways in 2008. It flew to more than 60 destinations worldwide from 14 UK and Irish airports. 70% of the airline's services were operated for its parent company, rising to 85% in the summer season, with the remainder on behalf of some 120 other tour operators. It also operated scheduled year-round leisure routes to Cyprus and the resorts of Spain and Portugal.
Icelandair is the flag carrier of Iceland, with its corporate head office on the property of Reykjavík Airport in the capital city Reykjavík. It is part of the Icelandair Group and operates to destinations on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean from its main hub at Keflavík International Airport. The geographical position of Iceland is convenient for one-stop transatlantic flights via the Atlantic Bridge route, which is one pillar of the airline's business strategy, along with traffic to, from, and within the country.
Liverpool John Lennon Airport is an international airport serving Liverpool, England, on the estuary of the River Mersey 6.5 nautical miles south-east of Liverpool city centre. Scheduled domestic, European, North African and Middle Eastern services are operated from the airport. The airport comprises a single passenger terminal, three general use hangars, a FedEx Express courier service centre as well as a single runway measuring 7,500 ft (2,286 m) in length, with the control tower south of the runway.
Monarch Airlines, simply known as Monarch, was a British charter and scheduled airline founded by Bill Hodgson and Don Peacock and financed by the Swiss Sergio Mantegazza family. The company later became a low-cost airline in 2004 before abandoning charter flying completely. The airline's headquarters were based at London–Luton, and it had operating bases at Birmingham, Leeds/Bradford, London–Gatwick and Manchester.
Glasgow Airport, also known as Glasgow International Airport, formerly Abbotsinch Airport, is an international airport in Scotland. It is located in Paisley, Renfrewshire, 8.6 nautical miles west of Glasgow city centre. In 2019, the airport handled 8.84 million passengers, an 8.4% annual decrease, making it the second-busiest in Scotland, after Edinburgh Airport, and the ninth-busiest airport in the United Kingdom.
British Midland Airways Limited was an airline in the United Kingdom with its head office in Donington Hall in Castle Donington, close to East Midlands Airport, England. The airline flew to destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America and Central Asia from its main hub at London Heathrow Airport, where at its peak it held about 13% of all takeoff and landing slots and operated over 2,000 flights a week. BMI was a member of Star Alliance from 1 July 2000 until 20 April 2012.
BA Connect was a regional airline and a wholly-owned subsidiary airline of British Airways. It was headquartered in Didsbury, Manchester, England, it operated a network of domestic and European services from a number of airports in the United Kingdom on behalf of British Airways. The airline operated as a low-cost carrier, with food sold via a 'buy on board' programme.
George Best Belfast City Airport is a single-runway airport in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Situated in County Down, it is adjacent to the Belfast Harbour and is 3 miles (4.8 km) from Belfast City Centre. It shares the site with the Spirit AeroSystems aircraft manufacturing facility. The airport began commercial operations in 1983, and was known as "Belfast City Airport" until it was renamed in 2006 in memory of George Best, the professional footballer from Belfast. The airport has a CAA public use aerodrome licence that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction.
Air Transat is a Canadian airline based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1986, it operates scheduled and charter flights serving 60 destinations in 25 countries. Air Transat is owned and operated by Transat A.T. Inc., with 37 aircraft registered with Transport Canada as of September 2023.
The Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards (ETOPS) are safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for twin-engine commercial passenger aircraft operations. They are a safety measure intended to ensure that in the event of a single engine failure, an aircraft will still be able to reach a diversion airport using the remaining operational engine. This may be at a reduced speed and/or height, and usually applies to flights over water or remote lands, typically routes previously restricted to three- and four-engine aircraft.
British Caledonian (BCal) was a private independent airline in the United Kingdom that operated from 1970 until it merged with British Airways in 1988. It operated primarily from London Gatwick Airport in south-east England. BCal was formed by the merger of Caledonian Airways and British United Airways (BUA). It was created as an alternative to the British government-controlled corporation airlines and was described as the "Second Force" in the 1969 Edwards report. The carrier slogan was Let's go British Caledonian in the 1970s and We never forget you have a choice in the 1980s. The BUA takeover enabled Caledonian to realise its long-held ambition to transform itself into a scheduled airline. The merged entity eventually became the UK's foremost independent, international scheduled airline.
Jet2.com Limited is a British low-cost airline based at Leeds Bradford Airport, England, United Kingdom. It offers scheduled and charter flights from the United Kingdom. As of 2022, it is the third-largest scheduled airline in the UK, behind easyJet and British Airways. Jet2 is also officially the largest tour operator in the UK after overtaking TUI in 2023.
City of Derry Airport, previously known as RAF Eglinton and Londonderry Eglinton Airport, is a regional airport located 7 mi (11 km) northeast of Derry, Northern Ireland. It is located on the south bank of Lough Foyle, a short distance from the village of Eglinton and 8 mi (13 km) from the city centre.
Eastern Airways, legally incorporated as Air Kilroe Limited, is a British regional airline headquartered at Humberside Airport near the village of Kirmington, North Lincolnshire, England. The airline operates domestic, international and private charter flights. Around 800,000 passengers fly with the airline per year.
XL Airways was a British low-cost charter and scheduled airline, which ceased operations when it went into administration on 12 September 2008. Its headquarters were in Crawley, West Sussex, near London Gatwick Airport. It was part of the XL Leisure Group. From its three bases at London Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow, the airline provided short-haul and long-haul charter services, predominantly to leisure destinations.
Zoom Airlines Inc. was a Canadian low-fare scheduled transatlantic airline with its headquarters in the Place Bell Canada building in Ottawa, Ontario. Zoom operated year-round scheduled services to Europe, and charter services to South America, Caribbean, and Southern United States destinations with Canadian tour operators.
West Atlantic UK Limited, formerly Atlantic Airlines Ltd is a British cargo airline based at East Midlands Airport. It operates contract and ad hoc cargo flights worldwide, especially within Europe as part of the West Atlantic Group. The company's fleet is composed of Boeing 737 and ATR72 aircraft. The airline specialises in the transport of dangerous goods and radioactive products and other specialist aerial work, including oil spill response, dispersant spraying and icing trials. The prime activity of the business is the supply and operating of aircraft to night-time freight integrators and consolidators and the operation of ad hoc air charters on behalf of other airlines, freight brokers and forwarders. Atlantic Airlines merged with the Swedish airline West Air Europe in 2008 to establish the West Atlantic Group.
Dundee Airport is an airport based in Dundee, Scotland. It lies on the shore of the Firth of Tay and overlooks the Tay Rail Bridge.
Titan Airways Limited is a British charter airline based at London Stansted Airport. The carrier specialises in short-notice ACMI and wet lease operations, as well as ad-hoc passenger and cargo charter services to tour operators, corporations, governments, and the sports and entertainment sectors. The company holds a United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority Type A Operating Licence, permitting it to carry passengers, cargo and mail, on aircraft with 20 or more seats.
Ryanair UK is a British low-cost airline. The airline is the UK subsidiary of the low-cost Irish airline group Ryanair Holdings and a sister airline to Ryanair, Buzz, and Malta Air. It commenced operations in March 2019. It operates only Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
