Aviation and airlines ( commonwealth union ) _ Recently, rumours have surfaced suggesting that British leisure airline Monarch Airlines, which went out of business in 2017, may soon resume passenger operations. Many had long since abandoned the airline, which had stopped flying nearly six years prior.
With a fleet of 35 aircraft at its height, Monarch provided service to 43 locations around Europe and the Middle East, keeping operational centres at London-Gatwick (LGW) and London-Luton (LTN). In this piece, we’ll look at the carrier’s complicated past as well as what transpired after its infamous 2017 crash.
Bill Hodgson and Don Peacock, both directors of the long-gone British Eagle International Airlines, established Monarch Airlines on June 5th, 1967. Unlike other airlines at the time, the airline was founded with the goal of transporting British tourists to their prefered warm locales and weekend getaway locations. The airline pioneered leisure air travel for the general public during a time when flying was a luxury only afforded to the upper classes.
Bristol Britannia turboprops, which were based out of just one hangar at Luton Airport, were the airline’s first aircraft. However, the carrier had quickly grown and was flying over 250,000 passengers by 1969. At first, the airline offered charter services in addition to scheduled flights.
Three Boeing 720s were the first aircraft that Monarch purchased in the 1970s. The carrier grew further and amassed an all-jet fleet by 1976 as a result of the explosive growth in leisure travel during this decade.
Widebody aircraft were initially introduced by Monarch in the 1990s, when the first Airbus A300s joined the fleet. Budget airlines started to emerge during this time in Europe and the UK, lessening the airline’s competitive advantage.
By the turn of the millennium, the airline had started to grow its Gatwick operations, adding more routes to countries in Southern Europe like Spain and Portugal. The carrier placed a significant order for six Boeing 787 Dreamliners in August 2006, but later cancelled it in favour of refocusing on its usual short- and medium-haul markets.
The decline of the monarch
Monarch started to have financial issues in the early 2010s, posting its first operating losses in 2011. The UK government gave the airline a financial aid package, but the company’s finances kept getting worse.
In an effort to reduce expenses, the carrier started to scale back operations in 2014, and by 2016, there were rumours that the airline was about to file for bankruptcy. Up to Thomas Cook’s demise in 2019, Monarch Airlines’ 1 October 2017 total shutdown of operations marked the largest airline failure in UK history.
It seems like Monarch might have a second chance with new leadership. It will undoubtedly be fascinating to see what might happen with this cherished leisure vehicle.
