Jump to content

Monarch ceases trading


Meatbox8

Recommended Posts

I agree it is a great shame, but there have been rumblings in the press that Monarch have been in serious trouble for a while. Too many seats and not enough bums is how I have seen the current low cost airline market described by one expert on low cost airlines

We flew back from Portugal with them a week last Friday and so feel a bit lucky, but I feel really sorry for thus who have lost their bookings 

Edited by Martin T
Clarification of source
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Paul J said:

As I understand it, "Brianair" have mis managed thier crew rosters etc. Not much to do with falling passengers with them.

Apparently Ryanair used a financial year system for their leave which the Irish CAA insisted be changed to calendar year, leaving Ryanair to fit leave into three months less available time. The BBC gave this explanation on Breakfast recently?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, Teuchter said:

Am I naive wondering why the CAA don't use use the Monarch crews, slots and planes to bring home the stranded passengers at their scheduled times, rather than chartering?

Presumably because it would be impossible to make short notice arrangements for fuel, insurance etc. Plus the Administrators won't want aircraft to have more hours, use stock that they can liquidate etc

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My memory is not what it was but back in my Autair/Courtline days I worked next door to Monarch. At that time they seemed the poor relations, Court and Britannia had modern fleets while Monarch soldiered on with 'purchased at scrap value' Brittanias. Seem to recall they had risen out of the ashes of Eagle. I may have it wrong but they structured the business as two entities, Monarch Airlines and Airline Engineering with each entity being the creditor of the other in the case of trouble. Seemed a good idea given the dodgy nature of package tour operations at that time - the most 'modern' company - Courtline - folded first !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Teuchter said:

Am I naive wondering why the CAA don't use use the Monarch crews, slots and planes to bring home the stranded passengers at their scheduled times, rather than chartering?

They legally cannot, they are held by the administrator as assets, makes little common sense when the taxpayer is paying £60 million to bring everyone back (which is fair enough given it could have been anyone of US), but insolvency law is complicated to say the least. The CAA is trying to keep the flight schedules more or less intact. The first two flights back into Leeds-Bradford came over this afternoon. One was about an hour late using an Italian charter company and the other was about on time using a Turkish low cost carrier I have seen around the Mediterranean. I feel sorry for all affected. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pilots probably won't go to Ryanair unless they've already got 737 ratings (Monarch was (?) an all-Airbus fleet) so it'd take six months and the pilots' own money to get them.  Cabin crew might go to Ryanair, but with other operators offering better salaries and working conditions I suspect that only those who can't go elsewhere will.  Whatever happens I hope those who've worked so long and hard for Monarch can find employment elsewhere some time soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Monarch aircraft can't be used because

 

A: The Administrators do not hold an AOC

 

B: The aircraft may be impounded abroad against debts. In the UK being in administration gives protection, but these laws may not work in other countries.

 

C: Do you want to fly with a crew that know they are about to lose their job? How do you think they must feel?

 

D: The aircraft may be leased and so may not belong to Monarch

 

This is why they didn't 'go bust' until the very last aircraft had landed.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They flew more PAX this year than last. Lost £60M last year,£250M this year with reduced money coming in, Dollar/Pound exchange, Egypt,Turkey and Tunisia Terror attacks shifted to push holidays to Spain and Portugal, couldn't compete with Easy jet and Ryan's empty cockpits. Had the wrong business model and went the same way as Air Berlin.. Look at Norwegian, Monarch were dithering, too slow to jump on that long range, cheap and modern version of Laker's "Skytrain" set up.

 

I feel sorry for the staff there, I knew a few of them from the RAF. I did some moonlighting there when I was in the RAF 73 and 78, it was a weird place to work, I went back there in 92 on another job and it was a different world, much better.

They deserved better too

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It must be the last of the legacy airlines. But in this Lo co world they needed to adapt to survive and they didn't. One commentator mentioned that EasyJet fly more people in a month than Monarch in a year. I imagine Ryanair would top that. 

 

I doubt if going to Ryanair would appeal to most because even their direct entry Captains and FOs would only be contractors. Which might suit some older pilots who would prefer a UK base. Not so much for younger pilots. There is work out there for experienced type rated pilots mostly in the far east. So I suspect most of the pilots will find work is they're prepared to commute or move. 

 

The contrast with Ryanair couldn't be more stark. Ryanair made a massive mistake which is costing them multiple millions but they'll bounce back and this time next year they'll be busier than ever. 

 

Sorry to see another  old name go but it was always on the cards.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, Terrain Safe said:

Monarch aircraft can't be used because

CAA chair Dame Deirdre Hutton said..

 

"Monarch didn't own the planes, the planes were leased so as soon as the company went into administration, the owners of the planes took them back and that's why we've had to acquire planes from 16 different countries."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
On 10/3/2017 at 10:58 AM, noelh said:

It must be the last of the legacy airlines. But in this Lo co world they needed to adapt to survive and they didn't. One commentator mentioned that EasyJet fly more people in a month than Monarch in a year. I imagine Ryanair would top that. 

 

I doubt if going to Ryanair would appeal to most because even their direct entry Captains and FOs would only be contractors. Which might suit some older pilots who would prefer a UK base. Not so much for younger pilots. There is work out there for experienced type rated pilots mostly in the far east. So I suspect most of the pilots will find work is they're prepared to commute or move. 

 

The contrast with Ryanair couldn't be more stark. Ryanair made a massive mistake which is costing them multiple millions but they'll bounce back and this time next year they'll be busier than ever. 

 

Sorry to see another  old name go but it was always on the cards.

I’m sorry I’m slightly late to this thread - the last couple of months have been truly terrible (we had a 4 week old baby on the 2nd October), resulting in a lot of stress. 

 

I was formerly based in Birmingham with Monarch on the Airbus fleet. We had 1 737ng based in Birmingham too, and the crew have seemingly all found new homes too. Ryanair were not interested in First Officers, only Captains and they got a slightly preferential deal - they didn’t need to pay for their own ratings, uk based etc... Virgin took a good few (50 out of the 450 pilots) - sadly I had an interview there, but was really not on top form - stress and nerves for the better of me. Quite a few guys are off to Primera Air from Birmingham and a decent number have gone to Wizz out of Luton.

 

I’m also very happy to report that I start with DHL UK next Wednesday, on the 757 based out of East Midlands (next door to Clifton curios!). So it’ll be night work, but hopefully very stable and we’ll never have to go through what we just have had to. It’s been horrific. 

 

The details of Monarch going pop will rumble on for a good while yet - but at the end of the day, we just couldn’t compete. Ryanair can make £10 profit on each flight and it mounts up. Monarch had 36ish aircraft - and couldn’t match up to such financials sadly. 

 

Chris

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Chris Jephcott said:

I’m sorry I’m slightly late to this thread - the last couple of months have been truly terrible (we had a 4 week old baby on the 2nd October), resulting in a lot of stress. 

 

I was formerly based in Birmingham with Monarch on the Airbus fleet. We had 1 737ng based in Birmingham too, and the crew have seemingly all found new homes too. Ryanair were not interested in First Officers, only Captains and they got a slightly preferential deal - they didn’t need to pay for their own ratings, uk based etc... Virgin took a good few (50 out of the 450 pilots) - sadly I had an interview there, but was really not on top form - stress and nerves for the better of me. Quite a few guys are off to Primera Air from Birmingham and a decent number have gone to Wizz out of Luton.

 

I’m also very happy to report that I start with DHL UK next Wednesday, on the 757 based out of East Midlands (next door to Clifton curios!). So it’ll be night work, but hopefully very stable and we’ll never have to go through what we just have had to. It’s been horrific. 

 

The details of Monarch going pop will rumble on for a good while yet - but at the end of the day, we just couldn’t compete. Ryanair can make £10 profit on each flight and it mounts up. Monarch had 36ish aircraft - and couldn’t match up to such financials sadly. 

 

Chris

Hi Chris, congratulations. I understand the stress of being made redundant but I didn't have a wife and kids at the time. I was got redundancy three times. To be fair two were definitely voluntary. The first allowed me to finally finish my CPL/IR

 

Now as it happens I ended up working in OPs for Hunting Cargo, now Air Contractors. Crew rostering. It was a well recognised route into the right seat of a 727 or even 'still my beating heart' a Lockheed L188 Electra. The Brooklands Merchantman was still in service with them when I was there and I had the opportunity to crawl all over it by myself a few times when it day stopped in Dublin. We had a lot of dealings with the DHL fleet too because we flew DHL among others too. I'd organise hotel stopovers for them as well as our guys. 

 

As for night flying, well it's a funny one. Some guys loved it. I have no idea how it is now in DHL but the roster meant no weekend work, imagine that? Christmas off as well, every year. Plus a very stable roster. It was very family friendly apart from being away for a few days at a time. Add that to some nice stopovers like Budapest, which was a favourite, ahem. I occasionally got calls from wives of pilots.... well I have some stories. 

 

Hopefully you'll enjoy your new job. Certainly there will always be a demand for parcels. Cargo is the way to go. 

 

Best job I ever had and that includes being a Skydive pilot.  But it all ended badly, job cuts found me out the door with little ceremony which effectively ended my chances of an airline career. Blessing in disguise I think with hindsight. 

 

Good luck with the new job. 

 

 

Edited by noelh
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...