Monarch’s Malaga move
22 July 2005
Monarch Scheduled is to open its first overseas base at Malaga airport, allowing it to begin routes to Aberdeen, Newquay and Blackpool.
The airline is following Ryanair and easyJet in opening foreign bases and will station an aircraft and crew at the Spanish airport.
Basing an aircraft in Spain means Monarch does not have to scatter staff around the UK and can operate routes that might otherwise prove uneconomic.
As well as the three new routes, it will add three extra frequencies a week at Luton.
On November 3, it will start daily flights to Blackpool, three flights a week to New-quay and add the extra Luton flights, making 11 a week. Four flights a week to Aber-deen, its first Scottish route, will start on November 4.
“We have to be pan- European in our thinking because the UK market is largely saturated,” said Monarch Scheduled managing director Tim Jeans.
He said other bases could be established at Palma, Barcelona and Alicante.
Monarch Scheduled’s Malaga-based Airbus A320 will have 174-seats – six fewer than standard – allowing 48 extra-leg-room seats. They will be sold for a £30 return premium, allowing it to compete with carriers such as British Airways.
Return fares start at £75 from Blackpool and New-quay and £95 from Aberdeen.
