The UK's Civil Aviation Authority confirms that Monarch Airlines has ceased trading with immediate effect, leaving 110,000 customers overseas and in the region of 300,000 future bookings cancelled.
The government has asked CAA to charter more than 30 aircraft to bring back to the UK Monarch Airlines customers currently overseas, which it has already started to do with Qatar Airways being the main supplier of aircraft, with 10 already in operation on the repatriation operation. The estimated cost of this, the largest peacetime repatriation, in British history is expected to be £60 million according to the CAA.
The CAA is warning Monarch customers in the UK and yet to travel to not go to the airport, there will not be any more flights from the airline. Those customers already overseas due to fly in the next fortnight will be brought back to the UK at no cost to them. There is no need to cut short your stay and are advised to check new special website monarch.caa.co.uk for more information.
All future Monarch Airlines bookings, including flights and holidays, have now been cancelled following a decision by the company's board to stop trading. This is the UK's largest ever airline to enter administration.
As all of Monarch's flights due to depart from the UK have now been cancelled, customers should not go to their UK airport. Affected customers still in the UK should check monarch.caa.co.uk for further information.
Due to the unprecedented number of UK consumers currently overseas who are affected by this airline administration, the CAA and Government are securing a fleet of more than 30 aircraft, flying to more than 30 airports, to bring 110,000 people back to the UK at no cost to them. This is the equivalent of operating, at very short notice, one of the UK's largest airlines.
The CAA has a dedicated website monarch.caa.co.uk, which is the best source of advice and information for affected customers, and a 24-hour helpline (0300 303 2800 from in the UK and Ireland, and +44 1753 330330 from overseas) to provide additional assistance.
Customers currently overseas should check monarch.caa.co.uk for confirmation of their new flight details which will be available a minimum of 48 hours in advance of their original departure time. This website will be frequently updated with the latest information. Customers currently overseas shouldn't go to the airport unless their flight back to the UK has been confirmed on monarch.caa.co.uk
Andrew Haines, Chief Executive of the CAA, 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.
“We urge people affected by the company's collapse to check our dedicated website monarch.caa.co.uk for advice and information on flights back to the UK. It also gives information to those passengers that have future bookings with Monarch but are yet to leave the UK.”
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