Airline collapse leaves 110,000 passengers stranded
Monarch Airlines has gone into administration, leaving 110,000 passengers stranded and prompting the UK to organise its biggest ever peacetime repatriation operation.
The collapse, which is the largest ever to hit a UK airline, has left travellers in a state of limbo with 300,000 future bookings cancelled and after the airline’s board called in administrators KPMG in the early hours of Monday morning.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has reportedly been tasked by the UK government with the tricky job of getting 110,000 passengers home, and will charter more than 30 aircraft to help passengers get back to Britain.
Monarch, which employs around 2,100 people, had been struggling with mounting costs in a competitive market, which saw it suffer substantial losses.
🇬🇧team at Menorca airport helping #monarchairlines passengers this morning. Follow the @UK_CAA advice if you are booked to fly to/from 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/s6dgHcXziR
— Simon Manley (@SimonManleyFCO) October 2, 2017
UK Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: "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.
"This is an unprecedented response to an unprecedented situation. Together with the Civil Aviation Authority, we will work around the clock to ensure Monarch passengers get the support they need.
"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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