A Regal Mess: Monarch Holds Launch Plans
In an unprecedented move, Monarch Airlines has stopped its plans to return the iconic UK carrier to the skies.
In an unprecedented move, Monarch Airlines has stopped its plans to return the iconic UK carrier to the skies.
DALLAS — Monarch Airlines Ltd., the company with plans to bring back the iconic carrier of the United Kingdom, has announced that it will be putting a halt to its operational revival for an indefinite period of time.
According to the company, a significant portion of the capital received from investors in the UK and European Union has been utilized, leaving insufficient resources to proceed with legal and commercial advancements. The company had initially aimed to commence operations next year.
The airline published a message on its newly refurbished website that read, "It is with immense regret that we announce today that we have been forced to put the brakes on our process to relaunch Monarch. This is not a decision that we have taken lightly, however, since taking over the business two weeks ago, we have drawn close to exhausting the start-up funding provided to us far more rapidly than anticipated."
The discontinuation of the project to revive Monarch comes 13 days after the company's initial public announcement regarding its intentions to bring back the airline, nearly six years after its previous operations ceased on October 2, 2017.
The relaunch of Monarch Airlines was a highly controversial topic within the European aviation industry. The news of its revival sparked a division among the aviation community, with some embracing the emotional symbolism of seeing one of the UK's most iconic airlines take to the skies again, while others expressed skepticism due to the rapidity of the details, strategies, and negotiations with third-party entities.
Monarch Airlines Ltd. had anticipated finalizing an agreement with an undisclosed local company for the dry-lease of 15 Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft for its fleet. Negotiations with UK airports to secure slot possibilities were also underway.
However, the airline's board clarified to Airways that the relaunch has been postponed indefinitely, although negotiations are still ongoing behind the scenes. The discussions regarding aircraft and airports are continuing, albeit at a slower pace.
In terms of public relations, Monarch had to contend with fake Instagram and Twitter accounts falsely claiming to be the official sources of information for the company. These accounts took advantage of the uncertainty surrounding the relaunch to promote ticket giveaways for the inaugural flight, fraudulently soliciting private data from participants.
The outcome of the "new" Monarch remains uncertain, with no indication of whether it will face a similar fate as its predecessor.
On August 28, the "new" Monarch Airlines unveiled the new livery and brand that would have been implemented and promoted upon its operational return. However, the near elimination of the iconic yellow color received a negative response from the community, with the color only being retained on the sharklets of the aircraft if present.
In response to the feedback, the company conducted polls via social media yesterday, allowing its supporters to choose between two livery sketches. The first sketch was the original design by the company. The second featured a revised scheme that emphasized the yellow color as the primary shade, with larger titles on the fuselage.
Alas, all official sources of information for Monarch Airlines have been suspended. The Instagram and Twitter accounts are inactive, although the website remains accessible to the public, primarily to convey the status of the carrier's operational return.
"We have been seeking alternative routes, such as partial divestment of share capital, and will continue to do so; however, at the current stage, there is no practical option to move forward in the immediate future," declared Monarch Airlines Ltd.
Featured image: Monarch Airlines
