MONARCH Airline staff wept during an “emotional” meeting held just hours after the company went into administration.
The travel firm went into administration yesterday, cancelling the flights and holidays of 860,000 people. Some 110,000 customers overseas are being flown home in what the Government is calling the UK’s biggest peacetime repatriation.
A further three quarters of a million people held future bookings with the travel firm.
Monarch’s board called in administrators KPMG in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Administrator Blair Nimmo said the company, which employs around 2100 people across its airline and tour group, had struggled with mounting costs and competitive market conditions that saw it suffer a period of sustained losses.
Passengers already abroad are being flown home at no extra cost.
Many are in popular holiday resorts in Spain and Portugal such as the Costa del Sol, the Algarve and the Canary Islands.
The Government has warned passengers to expect disruption and delays as it works to ensure there are enough flights to return the “huge number” of passengers.
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.
“This is an unprecedented response to an unprecedented situation.”
Those who have not yet departed will receive a full refund if their booking was protected by the Air Travel Organiser’s Licence.
If it was not, they may be able to seek compensation through their travel insurance or credit card company.
Many passengers turned up at airports yesterday morning ready to go on holiday only to find their flights were cancelled.
Some couples have had their wedding plans thrown into chaos as they struggled to find flights with other airlines for them and their guests.
Civil Aviation Authority chief executive Andrew Haines said the regulator was notified by Monarch four and a half weeks ago that “there were issues they were dealing with”.
He went on: “Unfortunately we didn’t get final confirmation until 4am this morning and my understanding is that the board resolution to go into administration didn’t take place until close to midnight on Saturday night.”
Monarch was still advertising flights on its website on Sunday, meaning some passengers may have booked trips even after the company’s bosses decided it would stop trading.
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