Flights cancelled as Monarch Airlines goes into administration

The UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has said that it will provide alternative flights for the 110,000 tourists left stranded by the collapse of Monarch Airlines. Many of them are on the Costa del Sol.

As from today, Monday, Monarch Airlines ceased trading and entered administration said the CAA, cancelling all future flights and holidays.

The British Government, who through the CAA will provide alternative flights for all UK-bound flights until 15 October, has described the operation as the "biggest ever peacetime repatriation" as its prepares "to fly 110,000 Monarch passengers back to the UK at no cost to them".

Passengers are being advised to consult the special website set up by the CAA to check on the status of their replacement flights, or to explore the options available to them.

Malaga queues

Most passengers booked on today's flights from Malaga have been given seats on flights operated by other carriers.

Passengers travelling to Luton, Manchester and Birmingham were the first affected. Some had received text messages, others emails, saying they would be put on an alternative flight.

Some passengers said they arrived at the airport to find their names were not on the list of passengers for the replacement flight, as expected. However the situation was later resolved by staff.

Some were told they would be flown to another UK airport, instead of their planned destination.

Customers with flights booked to travel out of the UK are being told by the CAA not to bother going to their UK airport.

Monarch, Britain's fifth largest airline, operated several flights a day from Malaga airport to UK airports including, Manchester, Birmingham and London Luton.

This is what Andrew Haines, Chief Executive of the CAA, said on Monday morning:

"We know that Monarchs decision to stop trading will be very distressing for all of its customers and employees.

"This is the biggest UK airline ever to cease trading, so the Government has asked the CAA to support Monarch customers currently abroad to get back to the UK at the end of their holiday at no extra cost to them.

"We are putting together, at very short notice and for a period of two weeks, what is effectively one of the UKs largest airlines to manage this task. The scale and challenge of this operation means that some disruption is inevitable. We ask customers to bear with us as we work around the clock to bring everyone home.

"We urge people affected by the companys collapse to check our dedicated website for advice and information on flights back to the UK. It also gives information to those passengers that have future bookings with Monarch but are yet to leave the UK."