He still hasn’t taken a single passenger on board.

The last few years, especially the last one, may not have been the best for Boeing. And not only for the manufacturer, but also for the airlines. In general, airlines and the industry are facing new times, and this includes everything from deeper unknowns such as climate change to others such as restrictions or changes in patterns in the sector. However, most of them can consider themselves “lucky” compared to USGlobal. He has been trying to get the ball rolling for more than three decades.

34 years old, please help me. The story began in 1989, when Baltia Airlines began its operations, like any other developing airline, with big plans and ambitions. However, as we will see below, 34 years (and a name change) later, the company still does not operate a single commercial flight, a phenomenon that has puzzled many and led to speculation among many others about its true nature.

While the initial plans seemed sound, its history has been marked by questionable decisions, regulatory failures and constant restructurings that have kept it afloat. Fasten your seat belts, they are crooked.

Transatlantic dream. Baltiya Airlines was born from the mind of Igor Dmitrovsky, a Latvian immigrant, with a clear idea: to connect New York with Russian St. Petersburg at a time when routes to the former Soviet Union seemed like a promising opportunity. A man sells his dairy products distribution company and manages to gather a group of investors. Plus: The company had plans to add more routes to Belarus, Estonia, Ukraine and Georgia from John F. Kennedy International Airport.

In 1998, it received permission to fly between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Pulkovo Airport (LED). To implement the plan, it purchased a Boeing 747-200 from Cathay Pacific, but the first setback followed: the US Department of Transportation (DOT) revoked its license due to insufficient funds, from which Baltic never recovered (Fears, they say, always it was about the ability to provide a safe emergency evacuation.)

Despite convincing new investors and acquiring more aircraft, such as a Boeing 747-200 from Pakistan International Airlines and another from Northwest Airlines, none entered service. Ultimately, both aircraft were dismantled and sold for scrap, leaving the airline without an operational fleet. And now?

Rebranding. In 2017, Baltiya restructured, now under the name USGlobal Airways, abandoning the idea of ​​transatlantic flights and moving its operations to Stewart International Airport (SWF) in New York. This time, the airline planned to become a regional operator, offering flights to nearby destinations such as Albany, Baltimore, Long Island and Trenton. However, the plans again did not materialize. They do not receive authorization.

USGlobal subsequently revised its strategy to focus on transatlantic flights from Stuart to “underserved” European cities, following a model similar to that of airlines such as Norwegian Air Shuttle and WOW. Result? Despite signing a letter of intent with Kalitta Air in 2017 to lease the Boeing 767-300ER, the aircraft never flew under the USGlobal Airways name. There was no way.

Conspiracy theory. For industry experts, this was starting to seem too strange. In fact, the USGlobal Airways story has always raised questions and doubts as to whether it was all a scam or a scam. In 2014, the airline’s market capitalization was $70 million, which was enough to purchase used aircraft and begin operations.

However, in 2016, US regulators accused the airline’s executive of misleading investors. Three years later, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revoked the company’s stock listing for failure to file financial statements. With a history filled with questionable decisions and changes in direction, the truth is that the airline has failed to deliver on its promises, leaving a trail of suspicion and conspiracy theories in its wake.

Today. For many, USGlobal Airways is a clear example of how big dreams can sometimes turn into a perpetual cycle of empty hype and operational failures. Even though USGlobal Airways hasn’t flown or flown a single flight in more than three decades, it remains the airline industry’s most surreal oddity.

While most companies are struggling to survive in the face of increasing competition, the airline manages to remain on the margins of the industry without offering a single service to passengers. His story, full of broken promises and questionable decisions, serves as a warning to seafarers about the risks of over-ambition and opacity in the business world. The airline is so unique that the day it manages to take off will truly be an event worth celebrating.

Image | PXHere

In Hatak | First class seats are a thing of the past. Airlines now want absurdly luxurious business class

In Hatak | Boarding a plane is a nightmare because airlines want it to be. Science has long known the ideal method