22/04
It is going to be "NB" & "NE" which are the first to go due to them being ETOPS.

It will be good news if this means that LGW-AGP always operates on an Airbus. The 757 is a great aircraft but the internal configuration does not match Airbus. Fascinating, though, that GB are getting rid of A321's. Their previous policy had been to replace all the 320's with 321's.

Ah but was the disposal of 321s planned before the Easy take over or does it result from it?

GB are due to replace the outgoing two 321's with two new builds.

This was agreed before the takeover.

"colegate" this past summer the whole B757 fleet has been configured for charter flights, that is not to say that the odd ZB service might have been carried out on them.
For your interest the plan for summer 07 was one B757 based at LGW to be used as a standby aircraft and this was achieved most of the time.
MON even charted other aircraft to cover for the loss of the A321s at the start of the season, this to still leave a standby aircraft available and l understand that one B757 will be a standby unit this summer.
"22/04", yes the GB A321s were decided before this summer started, so well before Easyjets takeover.

The 757's will be reconfiged for S08 to 229 seats, to ensure that there are extra leg room seats at the front for ZB flights.

Aircraft type enquiry
 

Does anyone know what aircraft type is scheduled to operate MON6992 / 6993 Charters between Gatwick and Geneva?

Thanks

Would say 752 but if it is on a Saturday during Feb half-term maybe an A300.

Mostly A300s on the LGWGVA MON6992/3

Heathrow Monarch Airbus
 

Have seen a Monarch A300 or something like that in LHR, anyone know what route this is operating? Didnt know they flew from LHR

Maybe A Hajj flight which they are operating under BD flightnumber

Ian

Yes, Hajj flights for BMI both before xmas and after using A330s.:ok:

New Routes and Expansion
 

I understand from a well-placed source that Monarch are due to launch LGW - Larnaca and Mahon from Easter and beef up their LGW - TFS offering. All flights on sale from Monday :ok::ok::ok:

Interesring to see GB/EZY getting rid of their 321's already even though the buyout is not complete!

They are only selling 2, don't know about the rest.

From what I have heard, both A321s are heading to MAN and 1 A320 is heading south to LGW so both bases get new aircraft with MAN getting quite a big boost to it's available seats.

This will obviously mean new routes for LGW and maybe another for MAN? Or frequency increases?

flyer 55 and MUFC fan

As I have already advised, the two A321 disposals were already planned before the EZY take over by GT, with two new build aircraft replacing them.

I presume the newly announced MAN-LCA route will be operated by an A321? Also I've read somewhere that MAN-ACE will be upgraded to a 321 this summer, might be wrong about that though. BCN was upgraded from a 320 to a 321 this winter, so possibly that will remain 321 for the summer.

station managers going
 

How long will it be untill monarch have realised they have made a big mistake making there airport managers redundant?. I bet it will not be long everyone upset by the news great people who work really hard for the respective bases. "Monarch an airline that cares" more like one that cares about its profit and not the staff that have been loyal over the years.

bhx - lca
 

Wonder if ZB had thought of trying BHX-LCA and giving Cyprus Airways a run for their money. Would be good to see some all year round competition on the route from BHX. A new scheduled service may generate more traffic whilst I am sure ZB could easily take some of CY’s market share.
At present CY’s scheduled times are poor, they are rarely on time, the crews aren’t the friendliest and the aircraft interiors have seen better days (the airline appears to be stuck in a decade associated with Tears for Fears). CY ticket prices aren’t bad but they are nothing that ZB couldn’t compete with. If it was down to standard of service ZB would win every time. Any chance?

Yeah I have thought about that myself too. I would imagine if Monarch ZB are to start new routes from BHX...Larnaca should be one.

There seems to be some sort of a rumuor that BHX are in talks with Monarch to base an additional A321 later in the Summer...If that is true and did happen...then I would of thought they would add Cyprus fights.

Would be nice to see 5 Monarch A321's at BHX if it does happen.

Cosmos holidays are stating that Monarch's longhaul flights will have a 33" seat pitch for summer 2008, can anyone confirm if this is true.

I have heard a rumour, and I emphasise at this stage it is purely a rumour, that IB are interested in codesharing on some ZB routes between Spain and the UK. I know that before they turned their attentions to LoCo, Monarch were looking at various codeshare possibilities on their scheduled (ZB) routes. They work extremely closely with IB at all their Spanish destination airports, in fact I don't think there's one Spanish airport where they aren't handled by Iberia. By codesharing, IB would be able to get a piece of the Spain-UK market and it would allow UK passengers to connect in Spain onto Iberia services ie MAN-BCN-South America. In return ZB would see increased seat sales, an increased profile for Spanish based customers and it would create the possibility of opening new routes such as MAD.

Monarch Codeshare
 

Not sure what your sources are FlyZB but it's just not true. As for looking at codeshares before going LoCo, only at a very rudimentary level.

Considering the load factors they operate at, why complicate the business and add significant cost for marginal increases in sales?

Doesn't make sense

I think someone is pulling your leg ZB. More chance of IB lo Co Clickair operating to MAN than ZB codesharing with IB.
Monarch just couldn't handle interline traffic.

Code sharing with Iberia?
 

FlyZB

Even the example you quote of flying via BCN to South America shows the frailty of this rumour as IB don't fly BCN to South America, its all change at Madrid. Back to the drawing board on this one I think.

FlyZB

I think you will find that they are handled by IB because until fairly recently there wasn't any choice. Probably more a case of not wanting/getting round to changing yet

Yeh, I take your points. The rumour actually came from someone I know in Spain who had heard mutterings from somewhere. It is more a case of IB being interested in some kind of agreement rather than the other way around. Don't really know a great deal about Iberia or codeshares so not in any position to comment further.

With regards to the reason why ZB and IB work so closely in Spain, I do think it is a little more than the fact that IB were once the only ground handling option. There have been much cheaper alternatives for a good number of years now, particularly at the larger airports, so Monarch are obviously very happy with what IB provide and the connections to such a large company. I remember seeing a poster at TFS a few weeks back which said 'Monarch - proud to be handled by Spain's National Carrier' or something to that extent.

March Figures
 

From Monarch website:

Pax 281994 up 9.5%

Load Factor 82.86% + 0.16%

Winter 2008/9 Birmingham released showing no LEI, MJV, PMI.

Is this a staged release for destinations as well as airports?

They have LEI to themselves at BHX but do share MJV with Baby.

Pete

Monarch is 40 Tommorow!!!
 

"Congratulations to Monarch!:D:D:D:D:D

It's a proud moment for Monarch as it celebrates Its 40th anniversary this weekend and enters into Its 41st year of flying. From launch in 1968 with just two Bristol Britannia aircraft and a total of 94 airline and engineering staff, It Is now one of the UK's leading leisure airlines with almost 3,000 staff, operating a fleet of 31 jet aircraft and carrying over 7 million passengers a year

Monarch is the longest established airline brand still trading and flying under the same name in the UK and we are delighted to be celebrating our 40th anniversary this weekend.

Its certainly been an eventful four decades and we have come a long way from our humble beginnings back in 1968, when a collaboration between Airline Engineering Limited (now Monarch Aircraft Engineering Ltd) and Cosmos, saw the launch of Monarch Airlines and the first commercial service take to the skies - flight OM118 operating between Luton and Madrid on 05 April 1968.

To mark the occasion, we will be operating a celebration flight between Luton and Menorca on Saturday 05 April. Passengers on this flight will check-in at retro branded check-in desks and will be treated to champagne and cakes onboard, all served by Monarch cabin crew dressed in replicas of the original 1968 uniform – complete with yellow mini-dress!

Here are just a few of the 'milestones' in how we've evolved as a business -

In the early 1970s, the expanding holiday industry demanded faster travel. Monarch met that demand by committing to a modern, all-jet fleet: an unusual step in those days. We took delivery of our first Boeing jet - the 720B - and the first jet service took place on 13th December 1971. By 1972, we were carrying over 500,000 passengers.

Ten years later, we were the first charter airline in the world to order the new Boeing 757 - a highly sophisticated twin-engine jet. We ordered four - and Boeing was prepared to work with us to customise the aircraft in exactly the ways we wanted.

By the 1980s, many people wanted to travel independently of package tours. They wanted to book their own flights at flexible and convenient times and organise their own accommodation. Monarch recognised this need and in Spring 1985 we were awarded licenses to Malaga, Menorca and Tenerife - our scheduled division was born.

In 1986 the first scheduled flight took off for Menorca from Luton, flying on a Boeing 737-200 aircraft.

In 1999, we added the Airbus A330 to the fleet. This features the new Premium cabin, with a range of upgraded benefits such as increased seat pitch and width, and in-arm or seat-back video.

Monarch launched its first online booking tool in 2001, allowing passengers to book flights directly with the airline without needing to speak to a call centre or book through a travel agent.

2005 saw us add our first Boeing 767 to the fleet, allowing further expansion of the route network due to the aircraft's extended range operation.

Online bookings made via www.flyMonarch.com topped 90% for the first time in March 2007.

Look at this 'timeline' to follow Monarch's history at-a-glance:

1969: A fleet of six aircraft carries 250,000 passengers annually.

1971: First jet service (Boeing 720B) comes into operation.

1976: Monarch becomes an all-jet fleet.

1981: Monarch carries over a million passengers this year and offices are opened at Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow.

1985: Scheduled route licences are applied for.

1986: Monarch Crown Service is launched.

1988: 2.5 million passengers are carried.

1990: New purpose-built headquarters is opened at Luton boasting its own Boeing 757 flight simulator.

1996: Monarch Aircraft Engineering adds a brand new hangar in Manchester to existing facilities at Luton.

1999: The addition of Airbus A330-200 aircraft brings two-class seating to the long-haul charter market.

2000: Monarch's website is launched, with on-line booking for scheduled flights.

2001: Monarch carries nearly five million passengers on a large network of both scheduled and charter routes, with a combined workforce of nearly 3,000 people.

2002: Monarch unveils a new livery for its aircraft, plus new corporate colours of indigo and yellow.

2003: Monarch bases aircraft at London Gatwick for the first time with routes to Malaga, Alicante and Faro.

2004: New routes to Gran Canaria and Lanzarote are added from Luton.

2005: Monarch adds Birmingham as a UK base with routes to Malaga, Tenerife, Alicante and Faro.

2006: Further expansion occurs at all UK bases with new routes to Murcia and Menorca from Birmingham and Luton. Monarch also confirms an order for six next-generation Boeing 787 Dreamliners to lead the long-haul fleet from 2010, with three new Airbus A321s joining the short-haul fleet in 2007.

2007: Monarch launches flights to Ibiza from Luton, Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester, and forms a partnership with dance music label Hed Kandi to target the youth market for the first time - the deal also sees Monarch livery a Boeing 757 with the distinctive Hed Kandi branding.

ZB Airbus A300-605R
 

Are Monarch still operating these aircraft? I had to endure a Barbados-LGW flight 2 years ago via Gander refuel stop and they seemed to rattle and pitch all over the place when we encountered tubulence around Antigua

They are still in service and will be replaced by the B787 when it ever appears!

QUOTE
I remember seeing a poster at TFS a few weeks back which said 'Monarch - proud to be handled by Spain's National Carrier' or something to that extent.

REPLY BYALPHAINDIA

Is this something to do with IB now flying into GIB??

Happy 40th Monarch Airlines.:ok:

Here's to another 40 years of happy flying.:D

BTW, Does anyone know how many 757's are to be based at MAN for this summer??

I'm Hoping to get a flight on NB or NE before November.

Thanks for Any Replies.;)

BYALPHAINDIA

Monarch have been handled by IB in Spain, for many years. It is not a new development.

1 757 @ MAN, 1 757 @ EDI, 1 757 @ DUB and the remaining 4 active at LGW. The aircraft rotate around the bases to accomodate maintanence requirements amoungst other things. You may well be lucky and see NB or NE in Manchester at some point this summer before they are sent off to be converted to cargo a/c at the end of October.

Hi,

I believe there are two 757's at MAN this summer.

L Met

Happy 40th Birthday Monarch.....

All the B757 will be rotated through MAN at sometime during the summer as routine Hangar maintenance will be carried out at MAN.:ok:

As already said by IB4138, Monarch have been handled (at some airports) by IB for years.

But I'm curious, or don't get your post, - why did you think it had anything to do with GIB?!?

No Retro scheme & No BHX MJV, LEI 2008/9
 

Excellent and quick response from Monarch even if the answers I got
were not what I wanted: -

"Thank you for your e-mail. We did consider having an aircraft painted in
the original livery but it was not deemed the right option at this point
in time. With regards to A321 G-OZBR, this hybrid livery has only
occurred because the aircraft was delivered late from its previous owner
and as such missed its slot in the paint shop. We are looking for an
alternative slot for this to be liveried at the moment but given the
summer season is just about to begin it may be difficult to achieve this
side of summer.

With regard to Birmingham/Murcia and Birmingham/Almeria, these services
are not going to be operating for the Winter season but will return next
summer.

Best regards,

XXXXX XXXXXXXXXX"

End of note and names deleted.

Shame about the retro scheme, I think this would have been a winner especially as BR will have to be painted at some time.

Will Ryanair pounce on the BHX - MJV although Baby should have some
flights this winter. Two or three a week Almeria would not go amiss either
if anyone from FR are reading this.

Pete