Summary
- Monarch Airlines, which collapsed in 2017, is set for a remarkable revival with new ownership and directors, and a new website and social media presence indicating a comeback is imminent.
- The new Chairman of Monarch Airlines expressed excitement about leading the iconic brand into a new era and identified opportunities in the UK tourism sector that the revived company aims to fill.
- While the demand for foreign travel remains high, the revived Monarch will face stiff competition and significant challenges to succeed, including differentiating itself from its predecessor and rebuilding customer trust.
Monarch Airlines, the iconic British charter airline with roots going back several decades, has announced it plans to take to the skies again. Having collapsed due to financial pressures in 2017, the company is planning a spectacular revival of the brand to serve the UK inclusive tour market again, 55 years after its first flight.
What is happening with Monarch?
In a surprise move, Monarch Airlines, a name synonymous with the UK package holiday market, looks set for a remarkable revival. Having collapsed in October 2017, leaving tens of thousands of holidaymakers stranded across Europe and beyond, the airline’s new management will be hoping to succeed where their predecessors failed.
Photo: Ewa Studio / Shutterstock
On Friday, documents filed with Companies House in London evidenced that the dormant company, Monarch Airlines Limited, was now under new ownership, had appointed new directors, and had changed its registered company office from an inconspicuous office building in Coventry to an address adjacent to London Luton Airport, where the airline was first founded in 1967.
Adding some credibility to industry chatter that the airline is set to make a remarkable comeback, a new website has appeared online which features the famous Monarch Airlines logo (known colloquially back in the day as the ‘Spotty M’) and with the teasing words, “Coming Soon – We’re working hard building a brand new Monarch just for you. Please stay tuned for updates.”
Alongside the new website using the moniker “Let’s Monarch” comes new social media content, with a new X (formerly Twitter) page announcing the following news –
Further details of a possible regal revival
While the news that the company is under new ownership plus some initial publicity does not necessarily equate to aircraft emblazoned with the Monarch livery becoming airborne in the immediate future, there is undoubtedly something going on at the airline once known for its ‘Crown Service’ and its easily identifiable yellow and purple planes.
In an interview with Airways magazine, Daniel Ellingham, the newly appointed Chairman of Monarch Airlines, said,
“I am honored to be able to lead the iconic Monarch brand into a new era, 55 years after it first took to the skies. It is immensely rewarding to know that we are soon going to launch a new and strong company for the UK tourism sector.”
Mr. Ellingham continues,
“There are numerous opportunities yet to be filled by other operators: many of these cover some of the former Monarch’s key markets, meaning there is the opportunity for newcomers such as ourselves to step up and met demand.”
It is understood that the new airline has secured initial investment from a range of European Union and UK-based sources to fund its revival. Additionally, the team behind the venture has reportedly already held initial discussions with a UK-based lessor for up to 15 Airbus A320 family aircraft.
Is there room for a new Monarch?
The new carrier is said to be yet to apply for an Air Operator’s License (AOC). However, it has said it intends to make initial contact with the UK Civil Aviation Authority in the coming weeks. Alongside the airline, there will also be a new online Monarch Holidays venture, which will be a wholly integrated part of the airline business.
Upon its failure in October 2017, Monarch was a sizeable operator in the UK inclusive tour and charter markets. With a fleet of 35 Airbus A320 family aircraft plus a single Boeing 737-800, in addition to an order for 30-45 Boeing 737 MAX jets in place, the airline held a significant market share in UK leisure air travel alongside the likes of TUI Airways, Jet2, and the now defunct Thomas Cook Airlines.
Despite TUI and Jet2 currently thriving, a plethora of low-cost carriers such as easyJet, Ryanair, and others also carry significant numbers of leisure passengers numbers these days. One therefore might legitimately ask whether there remains a market in which a new airline such as a revived Monarch could succeed.
Although the conflict in Ukraine, increases in the price of aviation fuel, and a cost of living crisis have all hit household budgets over the past 18 months, there appears to be no shortage of demand for foreign travel.
That said, in addition to facing stiff competition already well established, there are other significant hurdles to be overcome if the new Monarch is to succeed. Starting an airline takes months, if not years (see the Simple Flying guide on How To Start An Airline here), and is a process that is notoriously tricky to get right.
What is for sure is that the company will need to do things differently from its predecessor, and it will also have to overcome any long-lasting effects lingering from the spectacular collapse of its namesake that left such a bad taste in so many UK travelers’ mouths back in 2017.
What are your thoughts on a possible revival of Monarch Airlines? Is there room for another major player in the UK leisure airline scene? Tell us your views in the comments.
Sources: Airways, UKAviation.news, Companies House
