Anyone have any ideas what drove Monarch's decision to abandon the charter market altogether? Are they struggling to compete with the array of cheap European charter carriers now operating out of the UK?
As already mentioned by Egon, the rot started a good few years ago when the Charter Department was moved over 80 miles away from the Head Office.
It really does beggar belief that mis-management and personal ego's have allowed
THE charter Airline of the UK to slip into this mess. Claiming that there is no money in the charter model, and failing to maintain old relationships or move in the correct circles to secure new business is the real failure here.
Its obvious to see given the carriers operating in Monarch's back yard (a yard that they should have been controlling) that there is sound business still available in the UK which hasn't been exploited.
Charter / ACMI contracts currently in UK/Eire (excludes the 2 Air Contractors pax aircraft):
Norwegian 738 x 2 - Thomson
Germania 737 - Thomson
Germania A319 x 2 - mixed
Privilege 757 - Jet 2
A320 (YL- registered) - Cooks
TVS/Sunwing 738 - Cooks
Fly Dubai 738 x 3 - Ryanair
Air Explore 734 x 2 - Ryanair
Estonian E170 - mixed
Small Planet A320 - mixed
Titan A320 - EZY
Titan 757 - EZY
There 17 contracts above, 12 Aircraft to leave the fleet... surely someone should have been securing some of the above?
It sadens me that its come to this and wish all those that are being sold down the river the very best. I've heard the revised T&C's are severe to say the very least.