Transatlantic start-up hints at plans to sell through agents

However, when pressed by TTG on whether this exchange meant he was leaning towards a direct business model which did not include agents, Asquith said: “Agents categorically will [have a role to play].

"We’re in a world where there are travel agents and third-parties. The more visibility the better. Even if it’s a travel agent [booking], I still see that as direct.”

Self-made entrepreneur Asquith, who holds the record for being the youngest person to visit every single country, has previously suggested the transatlantic carrier would launch in spring 2024, although he was non-committal on a date or timeline at WTM London.

“Whatever I say I am going to be stuck to a pole and we’ll have to follow through with it,” he said. However, he added: “We know there are challenges for us, but there will be aircraft in the sky sooner than people think.”

Asquith also stressed he recognised Global Airlines would need to “build credibility” before launching. “If I go back two years and say, ‘we’re Global Airlines’, people would say, ‘we can’t find you on the internet, what are you talking about, you’re crazy’,” he remarked.

“Now, we’re getting a lot of support from people at Airbus, the people at the start who said, ‘are you a little bit crazy?’. It has been a big effort to build the credibility – we don’t want to destroy it by saying we want to do this, on this date, and then it gets delayed. It can happen to the biggest and the best in this sector.”