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{{Short description|Defunct Scottish low-cost airline (2002–2009)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = Flyglobespan
| logo = FlyGSM.png
| logo_size = 250
| fleet_size = 9
| destinations = 24
| IATA = Y2
| ICAO = GSM
| callsign = GLOBESPAN
| parent = Globespan Group plc
| founded = {{start date|2002|11||df=yes}}
| commenced = {{start date|2003|04||df=yes}}
| ceased = {{end date|2009|12|16|df=yes}}
| headquarters = [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]], [[United Kingdom|UK]]
| key_people = {{nowrap|Tom Dalrymple, [[Chairman]]}}
| aoc =
| bases = {{ubl|class=nowrap
| [[Aberdeen Airport|Aberdeen]]
| [[Edinburgh Airport|Edinburgh]]
| [[Glasgow Airport|Glasgow]]
| [[Liverpool John Lennon Airport|Liverpool]]}}
| hubs =
| focus_cities =
| frequent_flyer =
| lounge =
| alliance =
| num_employees =
| website =
}}
'''Flyglobespan''' was a [[Scotland|Scottish]] [[low-cost airline]] based in [[Edinburgh]].<ref>"[http://www.flyglobespan.com/contactus.asp Contact Us] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422054415/http://flyglobespan.com/contactus.asp |date=22 April 2009 }}." flyglobespan. Retrieved on 16 November 2009.</ref> 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 John Lennon 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.<ref name="admin">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8417183.stm Flyglobespan goes into administration]</ref>
Because of the administration, Flyglobespan cancelled all of its scheduled flights.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.breakingnews.ie/business/scottish-airline-goes-into-administration-438544.html |title=Scottish airline goes into administration |publisher=BreakingNews.ie |date=16 December 2009 |access-date=5 May 2013}}</ref> On 14 December 2010, the business was declared to be in liquidation.
==
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2009}}
Flyglobespan (a trading name for Globespan Airways Limited) was established in November 2002 as an offshoot of the Globespan Group. Operations started in April 2003 using two [[Boeing 737|Boeing 737-300]] aircraft provided by [[Channel Express]] on services from [[Glasgow Prestwick Airport]] and [[Edinburgh Airport]] to five destinations in [[Spain]], [[France]] and [[Italy]].
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 [[United States|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|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|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|date=April 2010}}
[[BBC|BBC's]] ''[[Watchdog (TV series)|Watchdog]]'' 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|date=April 2010}}
===Domestic services===
{{unreferencedsect|date=February 2025}}
In May 2005, the first domestic services were launched, with twice-daily flights from [[Glasgow Airport|Glasgow]] and [[Edinburgh Airport|Edinburgh]] to [[London Stansted Airport|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 Airport|Bournemouth]] from Edinburgh.
===Fuel costs===
{{unreferencedsect|date=February 2025}}
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]], [[United States|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 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. The airline began Liverpool's first long-haul flight, to [[New York City|New York]] ([[John F. Kennedy International Airport|JFK]]), using [[Boeing 757-200]] aircraft, daily in May 2007. However, after a series of problems with the service, due largely to reliability problems with the route's sole aircraft which resulted in frequent major delays on the service,<ref>[http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/flygspan.htm Read over 200 FlyGlobespan Reviews and compare FlyGlobespan Passenger Reports about FlyGlobespan product and service standards<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Flyglobespan announced in early July that they would abandon the route in October of the same year, only six months after its inception.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/merseyside/6266518.stm | work=BBC News | title=Airline to stop New York flights | date=3 July 2007 | access-date=2 May 2010}}</ref>
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.{{fact|date=March 2025}}
Flyglobespan started new services in May 2007 from [[Hamilton/John C. Munro International Airport]], Canada to destinations in the UK and Ireland, including [[Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield|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,<ref>[https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=YYZ&daddr=YHM&layer=&sll=47.97335,-67.741005&sspn=12.423842,29.882813&ie=UTF8&z=9&om=1 Google Maps<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> 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 [[Logan International Airport|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.airlinequality.com/Airlines/Y2.htm |title=FlyGlobespan Star Rating |publisher=Airlinequality.com |access-date=5 May 2013}}</ref>
===Financial difficulties===
In July 2008, Globespan lost its ability to get insurance industry credit card repayment cover, before the collapse of [[Zoom Airlines|Zoom]] and [[XL Airways UK|XL]]. From that point, credit card clearing company [[E-Clear]], whose CEO was [[Elias Elia (businessman)|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.<ref name=BBCFraser200912>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/douglasfraser/2009/12/globespans_missing_millions_pa.html|title=Globespan's missing millions - part three|first=Douglas|last=Fraser|publisher=BBC Scotland|date=18 December 2009|access-date=19 January 2010}}</ref>
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.<ref name=BBCFraser200912/>
In November 2009, ''[[The Independent#The Independent on Sunday|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.<ref name="independent 1">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/lastgasp-cash-keeps-airline-flying-ndash-for-now-1820805.html|title=Last-gasp cash keeps airline flying – for now|last=Evans|first=Simon|date=15 November 2009|publisher=Independent|access-date=18 December 2009 | ___location=London}}</ref>
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]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2009/dec/13/globespan-faces-funding-crunch | work=The Guardian | ___location=London | title=Scottish budget airline faces collapse as rescue delayed | first=Simon | last=Bowers | date=13 December 2009 | access-date=2 May 2010}}</ref> 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 (law)|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.{{cn|date=February 2025}}
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<ref name=BBC8467751>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8467751.stm|title=Flyglobespan ticket firm in administration |publisher=BBC News|date=19 January 2010|access-date=19 January 2010}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/radio4/transcripts/20100211-ftf.rtf|title=Transcript from BBC Radio 4 Transmission of Face The Facts: 11th February 2010 1230-1300|date=11 February 2010}}</ref>
==Destinations==
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Globespan757.jpg|thumb|FlyGlobespan Boeing 757]] -->
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:blueglobespan.jpg|thumb|Blue FlyGlobespan 767]] -->
It was announced in July 2007 that the [[Liverpool John Lennon Airport|Liverpool]] to [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|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.<ref>[http://www.industrywatch.com/pages/iw2/Story.nsp?story_id=108062632&ID=iw&scategory=Aviation%3ACommercial&P=&F=&R=&VNC=hnall Industry Watch] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006143834/http://www.industrywatch.com/pages/iw2/Story.nsp?story_id=108062632&ID=iw&scategory=Aviation%3ACommercial&P=&F=&R=&VNC=hnall |date=6 October 2007 }}</ref> The poor operating service was compounded by some PR failures and sub-standard customer service.<ref>[http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0702/globespan.html TV coverage in Ireland]</ref><ref>[http://www.myguidetravel.com/blog/a-lesson-learned-choose-your-partners-carefully/ Travel Partner's experience]</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7051079.stm | work=BBC News | title=Airline has a licence suspended | date=18 October 2007 | access-date=2 May 2010}}</ref> Flyglobespan's ETOPS rating was reinstated at a CAA hearing on 26 October 2007.{{cn|date=February 2025}}
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 (2005–2018)|Air Italy]] on a temporary basis, before another airline puts in for a permanent basis.<ref name="Mercopress">{{cite news|url=http://en.mercopress.com/2009/12/17/air-italy-takes-over-air-bridge-ukfalklands-for-the-next-few-weeks|title=Air Italy takes over air bridge UK/Falklands for the next few weeks|date=18 December 2009|publisher=Mercopress|access-date=18 December 2009}}</ref>
The company also operated flights for the UK [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] between [[RAF Brize Norton]] and staging posts in the Middle East in support of the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.{{cn|date=February 2025}}
==Fleet==
[[File:Flyglobespan G-SAAW glasgow.jpg|thumb|right|Flyglobespan [[Boeing 737-800]] at [[Glasgow Airport]], [[Scotland]].]]
[[File:Flyglobespan G-CDPT glasgow.jpg|thumb|right|Flyglobespan [[Boeing 767|Boeing 767-319ER]] taxiing for take off at [[Glasgow Airport]]]]
The Flyglobespan fleet included the following aircraft as of 16 December 2009 prior to ceasing operations:<ref>[http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?categoryid=60&pagetype=65&applicationid=1&mode=summary&owner=Globespan%20Airways UK CAA Aircraft Register]{{dead link|date=April 2019}}</ref>
{| class="toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="3" style="border-collapse:collapse;margin:1em auto;"
|+ '''Flyglobespan Fleet'''
|- style="background:#ccf;"
! style="background:red;"|<span style="color:white;"> Aircraft</span>
! style="background:red;"|<span style="color:white;"> In Fleet</span>
! style="background:red;"|<span style="color:white;"> Orders</span>
! style="background:red;"|<span style="color:white;"> Passengers</span>
! style="background:red;"|<span style="color:white;"> Notes</span>
|-
|[[Boeing 737-300]]
|align=center|6
|align=center|0
|142 & 148
|Two were leased from [[Air Atlanta Icelandic]]
|-
|-
|[[Boeing 737-700]]
|align=center|2
|align=center|0
|148
|
|-
|[[Boeing 737-800]]
|align=center|5
|align=center|0
|189
|
|-
|[[Boeing 757-200]]
|align=center|3
|align=center|0
|189
||Two were wet leased from [[Icelandair]] in 2007
|-
|-
|[[Boeing 767-300ER]]
|align=center|6
|align=center|0
|276
||Two were wet leased from [[Neos (airline)]] in 2007
|-
|[[Boeing 787|Boeing 787-8]]
|align=center|0
|align=center|2
|
|Were to be leased from [[ILFC]]. Orders Cancelled
|-
|align=center|'''Total'''
!13
!2
|
|
|}
[[File:Boeing 757-200 (Flyglobespan) (5868879199).jpg|thumb|Flyglobespan [[Boeing 757|Boeing 757-200]] at [[Manchester Airport]]]]
As of 16 December 2009, Flyglobespan's average fleet age was 6.3 years, prior to ceasing operations.<ref>[http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/Flyglobespan.htm Airfleets Airline fleet age]</ref>
Flyglobespan announced in August 2006 that it would lease two [[Boeing 787|Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner]]s from the [[International Lease Finance Corporation]] for ten years, to be delivered in March and November 2011.<ref>[http://209.51.142.90/~ilfc01/viewArticle.php?id=76 Boeing 787 leasing] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070831013513/http://209.51.142.90/~ilfc01/viewArticle.php?id=76 |date=31 August 2007 }}</ref> Due to the administration placed on 16 December 2009, the orders were cancelled.
==Statistics==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; width:300px; margin:auto;"
|+
|-
! style="width:75px"| !! style="width:100px"|Number of Passengers<ref name="stats">Number of Passengers including both domestic and international.</ref> !! style="width:100px"| Number of Flights<ref>Number of Flights represents total flights during that year.</ref> !! style="width:100px"| Load Factor<ref>Load Factor represents number of seat-km used as a proportion of number of seat-km available.</ref>
|-
!2005
|929,552 || 7,952 || 79.2%
|-
!2006
|1,489,377 || 11,625 || 82.5%
|-
!2007
|2,060,727 || 15,980 || 82.2%
|-
!2008
|1,634,900 || 12,197 || 79.6%
|-
| colspan="5" style="text-align:right;"| <sup>''Source: [[United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority|UK Civil Aviation Authority]]'' <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=80&pagetype=88&pageid=1&sglid=1 |title=UK Airline Statistics | Aviation Intelligence | About the CAA |publisher=Caa.co.uk |access-date=5 May 2013}}</ref></sup>
|}
==See also==
* [[List of defunct airlines of the United Kingdom]]
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
==External links==
{{commons category-inline|Flyglobespan}}
{{Portal bar|Scotland|Companies|Aviation}}
{{Airlines of Scotland}}
[[Category:Defunct airlines of Scotland]]
[[Category:Defunct European low-cost airlines]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 2002]]
[[Category:Airlines disestablished in 2009]]
[[Category:Companies based in Edinburgh]]
[[Category:2002 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:2009 disestablishments in the United Kingdom]]
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