Would-be Airbus A380 operator Global Airlines has seen the departure of two high-profile members from its advisory board.
UK start-up Global announced the appointment in June last year of Emma Henderson and Jacqueline Sutton to the body, where they were to “advise the Global executive team on a variety of aviation, technical and commercial matters”.
Global founder and chief executive James Asquith trumpeted their arrival, describing as “invaluable” the pair’s “extensive expertise in various aspects of the aviation industry”.
Henderson is a former EasyJet captain who was previously a brand ambassador for the low-cost carrier; she has since forged a career as a professional speaker and is chief executive of healthcare charity Project Wingman.
Sutton, meanwhile, was previously chief customer officer at Rolls-Royce’s civil aerospace unit and is now a non-executive director of air show organiser Farnborough International and technology firm Xaar.
However, both have confirmed to FlightGlobal that they no longer have any involvement with Global Airlines although declined to comment further.
Global does not directly address the departure of Henderson and Sutton, but points to the “huge wealth of aviation experience” that remains on its advisory board.
Current members include chair Kevin Billings, a former assistant secretary of the US Air Force, Claire Harbord, until 2017 the corporate affairs director of Heathrow Airport, and Pierre Madrange, previously the chief operating officer of defunct carrier XL Airways.
Additional appointments will be announced “in the coming weeks”, it adds.
Global recently announced that it had taken ownership of its first A380 with the intention of launching flights later this year in co-operation with wet-lease specialist Hi Fly.
