An airline that once carried hundreds of thousands of winter-struck Brits (and others) to sunnier Continental climes every year and returned them tanned (or sunburned?) and hungover, Monarch Airlines looks set to make a comeback.
Once one of Britain’s largest carriers, Monarch Airlines was famous for its package holidays and charter flights to popular European hotspots. Before things went south (except for the airline’s flights anymore).
In October 2017, the London Luton-based carrier collapsed, leaving 110,000 holidaymakers in the lurch across Europe and resulting in the largest peacetime repatriation in British history.
But six years after its demise, the revived company says it plans to return as a full-service airline, taking on the UK’s low-cost carrier market.
“I am honoured to be able to lead the iconic Monarch brand into a new era, now 55 years after it first took to the skies. It is immensely rewarding to know that we are soon going to launch a new and strong company for the UK tourism sector,” Monarch board chairman Daniel Ellingham told US magazine Airways.
In the initial phase of its operational comeback, the company now has new ownership. And Ellingham says Monarch is currently in talks with another UK-based company to acquire 15 A320 short-haul aircraft.
“There are numerous opportunities yet to be filled by other operators; many of these cover some of the former Monarch’s key markets, meaning that there is the opportunity for newcomers such as ourselves to step up and meet demand,” the chair said.
‘Let’s Monarch’
Monarch also recently reentered the digital sphere with the tagline “Let’s Monarch”, joining online platforms Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and reactivating its website.
The company has also stated that it will launch Monarch Holidays as an online travel agent and fully integrate it into the airline business.
As for Monarch’s planned destinations, Ellingham said there would be few shocks.
“The intended locations will not come as a surprise to anybody familiar with the previous Monarch Airlines.”
Prior to its collapse, the carrier flew six million passengers a year out of its bases at Luton, Gatwick, Manchester and Leeds-Bradford.
According to The Times, the Monarch Travel Group owed £466 million when it failed.
