Yahoo Finance Monarch Airlines collapse: UK’s biggest peacetime repatriation operation begins
Monarch Airlines has been placed into administration, leaving 110,000 UK customers abroad and 300,000 forward bookings cancelled.
The 300,000 cancelled bookings – some for groups such as families – mean up to 750,000 people may be affected in addition to those already abroad.
The collapse, announced by liquidators KPMG, is being called Britain’s largest ever airline collapse.
The final flight landed in Manchester from Tel Aviv at 4am on Monday morning, with the UK’s biggest peacetime repatriation operation now under way
The carrier collapsed after it failed to have its Air Travel Organiser’s Licence (Atol) licence renewed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) amid concerns about its financial stability.
The CAA said it had launched a programme to bring Monarch customers back to the UK.
The body, which regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the UK, said it has been asked by the government to charter more than 30 aircraft to bring the passengers back.
Affected by the #Monarch collapse? Check our dedicated website https://t.co/Ja7tguLOZJ for advice and information on flights back to the UK. pic.twitter.com/VqkJEkJV6D
— UK CAA (@UK_CAA) October 2, 2017
All customers who are abroad and due to return to the UK in the next two weeks will be flown home at no extra cost, it said.
The CAA added customers do not need to cut short their stay.
CAA chief executive Andrew Haines said: “We know that Monarch’s decision to stop trading will be very distressing for all of its customers and employees. This is the biggest UK airline ever to cease trading, so the government has asked the CAA to support Monarch customers currently abroad to get back to the UK at the end of their holiday at no extra cost to them.
“We are putting together, at very short notice and for a period of two weeks, what is effectively one of the UK’s largest airlines to manage this task. The scale and challenge of this operation means that some disruption is inevitable. We ask customers to bear with us as we work around the clock to bring everyone home.”
The transport secretary Chris Grayling said: “This is a hugely distressing situation for British holidaymakers abroad – and my first priority is to help them get back to the UK. That is why I have immediately ordered the country’s biggest ever peacetime repatriation to fly about 110,000 passengers who could otherwise have been left stranded abroad.
“Nobody should underestimate the size of the challenge, so I ask passengers to be patient and act on the advice given by the CAA.”
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It follows the abrupt cancellation of more than 2,000 flights by Ryanair, one of its main rivals, last month
Monarch fell into repeated financial difficulty over recent years as it attempted to compete with other budget airlines.
Despite a takeover by venture capital firm Greybull Capital in October 2014, the slashing of jobs and ceasing of its charter and long-haul flights, the company fell back into financial difficulty in 2015.
Customers affected by the collapse should check monarch.caa.co.uk for advice. There is also a dedicated helpline (0300 303 2800 from in the UK and Ireland, and +44 1753 330330 from overseas).
The company employs about 2,750 mostly UK-based staff.
