Global Crossing Airlines
American charter airline From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Global Crossing Airlines, Inc. (operating as GlobalX Airlines) is an American Part 121 domestic, flag, and supplemental charter airline headquartered in Miami, Florida. GlobalX operates the majority of deportation flights on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.[4][5] This includes contracts by the Donald Trump administration in deporting immigrants to an El Salvador maximum security mega-prison known as CECOT.[5]
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| Founded | September 5, 2018 | ||||||
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| Commenced operations | August 7, 2021 | ||||||
| AOC # | GCXA466Q[3] | ||||||
| Operating bases | |||||||
| Fleet size | 19 | ||||||
| Traded as | NEO: JET | ||||||
| ISIN | US37960G4010 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Miami, Florida, United States | ||||||
| Key people |
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| Website | globalairlinesgroup | ||||||
The airline was founded in 2018 by Ed Wegel, who previously co-founded the reincarnated Eastern Air Lines. The airline provides ad-hoc and scheduled passenger charter and cargo airlift to destinations throughout the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
History
Summarize
Perspective
In 2020, GlobalX completed a merger & spin-out with Canada Jetlines, an ultra low-cost airline headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario.[6] In late 2020, GlobalX formed CubaX, a tour operator that provides weekly non-stop flights from Miami to Havana, Cuba.[7] In 2021, CubaX began operating daily charter flights using GlobalX aircraft on behalf of Havana Air.
On January 14, 2025, GlobalX announced an electronic interline agreement with United Airlines[8] regarding cargo space on their Chicago - San Juan route through the online platform Airblox.
In January 2025, a flight operated by GlobalX transporting shackled deported migrants from the United States to Brazil experienced repeated technical problems, including struggles to take off, broken air conditioning, and an unscheduled landing due to technical issues. The conditions on the flight led to diplomatic tensions between the United States and Brazil, with Brazilian government ministers describing the handling of the deportees on the flight as "unacceptable" and "degrading".[9]
On March 15, 2025, three GlobalX flights, aircraft tail numbers N278GX, N837VA, and N630VA, were used to transport Venezuelan nationals being held at El Valle Detention Center in South Texas. The deportation flights traveled from Harlingen, Texas to El Salvador (via Honduras) where the prisoners were transferred to Salvadoran custody and imprisonment.[10]
An investigative article in ProPublica, published April 1, 2025, reported concerns for passenger safety by flight attendants on GlobalX detainee flights chartered by Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE).[11] The attendants were concerned about how they would be able to evacuate aircraft in the event of an emergency given that the passengers were handcuffed and shackled.[12]
On April 16, 2025, GlobalX's executive chairman, Chris Jamroz resigned from the board of directors of the Royal Ontario Museum after his links to the deportation flights were reported on by Canadian independent journalist Rachel Gilmore.[13]
Fleet
Current fleet
As of April 2025, GlobalX operates the following aircraft:[14][15]
| Aircraft | In service |
Orders | Passengers | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B | P | E | Total | ||||
| Airbus A319-100 | 1 | — | — | — | 134 | 134[14] | |
| Airbus A320-200 | 10 | — | 12 | 24 | 114 | 150[14] | |
| – | – | 174 | 174[14] | ||||
| – | 30 | 149 | 179[14] | ||||
| – | – | 180 | 180[14] | ||||
| – | 24 | 156 | 180[14] | ||||
| Airbus A321-200 | 4 | – | 12 | 22 | 149 | 183[14] | |
| – | – | 210 | 210[14] | ||||
| XCargo fleet | |||||||
| Airbus A321-200P2F | 4 | – | Cargo | ||||
| Total | 19 | – | |||||
See also
References
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