Monarch -2

[Jamie2k9]

If thats the case then EDI may have a 757.

[Mr @ Spotty M]

Yes only one (G-DAJB) operating on the Canada services.

[Albert Hall]

EDI = 757 summer 2011

As far as i know EDI will have a 321 7 days a week based there for the summer.

What? There is no Monarch programme at Edinburgh this summer. Thomson are basing their own 757 at EDI for a full week to operate the schedule and the only Monarch flying through EDI will be a couple of departures to Funchal.

The EDI programme has therefore ceased after many years but strangely, I do not see a rush of people calling TUI a bunch of shysters or Monarch making this into a pantomime act via the front pages of the travel trade press.

So far, we have:

- 250,000 seats from Olympic "removed" from the programme - equivalent to the capacity of four daily A300 flights all summer or three 757s flying two flights a day, every day for the summer.

- Thomson Edinburgh programme lost for a weekday aircraft

- Dublin weekend programme cut back from 2 a/c to 1 (i.e. the other part of the Edinburgh aircraft's weekly tasks)

And on the plus side:

- One 757 flying five flights a week for Canadian Affair

- A programme of one flight a week from various regional airports to Funchal

- Many of the ex-Olympic charters to Cyprus into schedules which will now be additional capacity into the Cyprus market on top of that with which Olympic are replacing Monarch to begin with.

Not a lot, is it?

MOD work is definitely helpful at present but MOD have apparently awarded a contract for this summer (and not to Monarch) and any airline relying on that for long-term business is naive to ignore the effects of Air Tanker, assuming that it ever takes off (which it is bound to at some point).

All of this points to Cosmos and Avro having to take up a huge proportion of risk to keep Monarch's fleet flying this summer. There are very few independent tour operators left to fill the gaps - they simply don't exist in anything like the numbers or seat volumes that they used to. And history suggests that the group makes a whacking great big loss whenever they try to expand Cosmos to take up more Monarch flying.

Now, did anyone else hear the rumour about the Mantegazzas doing a load of sale-and-leaseback transactions on the aircraft? Keep watching the data plates on the aircraft....

[renort]

Care to enlighten us renort?

what Albert said. Wasnt right to put anything on here last night

[CSman]

From this old timer,there would appear to be a number of subscribers whose only aim in life seems to take delight in running down certain companies,if you have been rejected at some time ,rather than run companies down, devote your efforts to finding out WHY you were rejected It is a wonderful life get on and live it

[Airbus321-200]

Well considering Alberts post has quite alot of inaccuracies i'm not that worried.

DUB is 2x 321s this year. When they have a 2 departures to ACE on saturdays, one at 0700 and the other 0730 i think this shows there are 2 aircraft.

The EDI contract which would have been done in September/October was upped to a 7 day a week programme unless someone pulled out and i'm sure it was Thomas Cook and not Thomson that the contract was for.

Id the news was about the EDI base i think its strange that they'd announce that now considering they signed that contract months ago.

[MANTFS]

Latest from TTG today, sorry to the merchants of doom but things seem to be going quite well!.


Monarch Airlines is increasing its capacity to Spain, Portugal and Cyprus in April after forward bookings for the month rose by nearly 50% year-on-year.

The carrier is adding another 31,000 seats into its programme for the month as a result of the rise in bookings, which it partly put down to the Bank Holidays for Easter being so close to the extra holiday for the Royal Wedding.

Extra flights will operate throughout April from Gatwick and Manchester to destinations including Lanzarote, Tenerife, Alicante, Malaga, Majorca, Faro and Larnaca.

The carrier is also bringing forward the launch of its scheduled flights to Paphos in Cyprus to April. They were originally scheduled to start in May.

Managing director Kevin George said, “We have been astonished by the soaring demand for Monarch flights in April, which we believe is being driven by the proximity of Easter to the additional bank holiday.

“Bookings for April are already up 49% compared with the same time last year with demand from customers still increasing.”

[captaintrigger]

According to the EDI airport website it shows monarch doing a number of flights this summer. Have a look at the charter flight timetable:

BAA Edinburgh: Charter flight timetable

[scotsunflyer]

BAA website charter programme is only a guide. That was published in November

[Tight Seat]

Looks like a move to T2 is on the cards at MAN.

[airhumberside]

The EDI contract which would have been done in September/October was upped to a 7 day a week programme unless someone pulled out and i'm sure it was Thomas Cook and not Thomson that the contract was for.

The Monarch base used to be for Airtours/Direct Holidays, then Thomas Cook when they merged with Airtours. However Thomas Cook then cutback at EDI, and Thomson increased their programme taking over the Monarch based aircraft

Was EDI just a weekday only base last year? If so 'Albert Hall' is correct when comparing year on year. The planned increased Monarch EDI programme becomes irrelevant if it doesn't actually operate

[Tight Seat]

Dont forget that operating costs are higher when flying out of non-main base airports. So sometimes a more limited outstations flying program can work out cheaper.

Dont worry about Mons flying program for this coming summer, the aircraft and crews will be working to the limit, why else take on 10 more pilots ( and that may just be the first 10 of many!).

[fiftypercentchips]

What others have alluded to in certain posts is crucial to the future of this airline.

People talk on here of parasites and shysters. Adjectives that could be put to use closer to home. The heady days of sept 2008 could come back to haunt some people.

For those fantasising about whether EDI is a 757, 321, 7 days, etc. The office was emptied out today.

[Jamie2k9]

Dublin 2011

- Dublin weekend programme cut back from 2 a/c to 1 (i.e. the other part of the Edinburgh aircraft's weekly tasks)

Dublin will have 2 aircraft:

Friday:
Dublin - Ibiza - Dublin - Reus - Dublin
Dublin - Mahon - Dublin - Fuerteventura - Dublin

Satuday:
Dublin - Lanzarote - Dublin - Gran Canaria - Dublin
Dublin - Zakynthos - Dublin - Tenerife - Dublin

Sunday:
Dublin - Faro - Shannon - Faro - Dublin
Dublin - Faro - Cork - Faro - Dublin

[Airbus321-200]

That ZTH is a new addition on the programme. thats good to see.

[Jamie2k9]

Tenerife, Zakynthos and Fuerteventura are all new this year. They replace Malaga, Heraklion and the one less flight to Lanzarote which have being taken over by other carriers.

[Airbus321-200]

Right, everyone is talking in riddles in this forum so can people just come out with what they want to say.

1 - Is EDI getting the chop?

2- Whats the plan for DUB?

3- What kinda position is the company in?

[X-Centric]

1- Yes.
2- Depends long term on state of the Irish economy.
3- ok , they will be fine , but most of this is due to the fantastic crews and the diligence of all the staff in head office . They are however , compromised by having a shocking sales team south of the river.

[Airbus321-200]

Thanks X Centric, finally someone says it in black and white ( or pprune blue).

So what happened at EDI, the staff there were told they'd be having work for 7 days this summer.

[TSR2]

Last summer the ratio of the total number of weekly Monarch flights (not available seats) from Manchester was in excess of 2:1 in favour of Scheduled flights as opposed to Charter.

Whilst I appreciate that Scheduled flights generate the all important cash flow, and the Charter flights provide the flying programme for many Tour Operators, does anyone know which side of the business generates most profit.