Monarch Airlines ceases operations, flights cancelled

World
Europe

The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said Monday that Britain's Monarch Airlines has ceased operations with immediate effect, leaving 110,000 customers stranded overseas and around 300,000 future bookings cancelled.

"We're sorry to announce that Monarch has suspended flights and holidays," the airline posted on Twitter.

Tough competition in the airline sector has put pressure on weaker European carriers, with Air Berlin and Alitalia filing for bankruptcy this year and seeking new investors for parts of their businesses.

"This is the UK's largest ever airline to enter administration," the CAA said in a statement.

Reuters Photo

The government has asked the CAA to charter more than 30 aircraft to bring back Monarch customers currently overseas home, the CAA said.

The government has begun the largest ever peacetime repatriation effort to return stranded passengers, the Department for Transport and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said.

Monarch announced on Thursday that it was talking to potential partners after a report emerged that parts of its short-haul network would be sold off.

Source(s): Reuters