Charter and cargo start-up Global Crossing Airlines Group, operating as GlobalX (G6, Miami International), hosted a delivery ceremony for its first A320-200 at Miami International on January 17, “marking the beginning of the new passenger and cargo airline,” the company said in a statement released on January 19.

The delivery ceremony brings the new-entrant airline one step closer to receiving Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification, which it hopes to complete by the end of March.

N223FR (msn 2695), due to be re-registered as N276GX, owned by DAE Capital, was ferried from Amarillo Rick Husband International, where it had been repainted in the start-up’s blue-and-green livery, on January 17 to Miami. It is the first delivery of two aircraft scheduled for the first quarter of 2021.

Ed Wegel, chairman and chief executive of GLOBALX, said that “we are building our airline around Airbus with the A320 and A321 in passenger configuration, and later this year with the first of many A321 cargo aircraft. We hope to operate the A330 as well.”

Following FAA certification, the A320 “will immediately begin passenger charter operations throughout the United States, Caribbean, and Latin America,” GLOBALX confirmed.

Operating from two bases, Miami and Atlantic City, the company will provide charter capacity for major airlines, tour operators, professional and collegiate sports teams, casinos, and corporate groups, and will also operate direct-to-consumer charters under its own Part 380.

A US Department of Transportation filing confirmed GLOBALX’s operating projections.

“GLOBALX proposes to begin passenger charter operations with a single, leased, A320. It will offer this aircraft, and a second aircraft scheduled for delivery later in 2021, for public and private passenger charters in domestic and foreign markets. The initial bases of operation for its charter operations will be Atlantic City, NJ and Miami, FL,” it said, adding that it will target operating income in the range of USD125,000 and USD175,000 per aircraft per month once operations start in the first quarter of 2021.

GLOBALX added that it “will increase its fleet during the first full year of operations to two aircraft. [...] GLOBALX continues to negotiate for its second aircraft.”

The second aircraft, A321-200 ES-MLS (msn 2480), is reportedly on lease from Lithuania-based Magnetic Leasing and continues to be parked at Tallinn Lennart Meri in the Floridian start-up’s livery. It will provide services to Cuba, subject to governmental approvals.