Monarch Airlines : ZB : MON

Monarch looking to 2014 for first Boeing 787-8

UK scheduled and charter carrier Monarch Airlines now believes it could be 2014 before it receives its first [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]-8s, more than three years after it was due to receive the first of the twin-aisle aircraft.
In May 2008, the airline revealed that the first 787, due for delivery in late 2010, had been re-scheduled to arrive in spring 2013 "at best".
The current delivery schedule is still unknown, said a Monarch spokeswoman. "We have no dates [from [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]] as yet. Our best guess is 2014."
The Luton-based carrier wants the aircraft to replace its four [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]-600s. It has six Boeing 787-8s on order, although it cancelled options on a further four some time ago. In 2008 the A300-600s were described by then managing director Tim Jeans as "not as reliable as we would like". They will now soldier on until the 787s arrive, said the spokeswoman.
The airline had earlier talked of acquiring four to six used Boeing 767s or [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] A330s to bolster the fleet in the short term, but "no decision [on aircraft] has been taken; it's very much a work in progress", said the spokeswoman. Choice of a type would "very much depend on the growth of the network".
Monarch, for many years synonymous with the UK charter market, is steadily moving into the scheduled business. Some 70% of its flights this summer will be scheduled, rising to 80% in a year's time, although it anticipates retaining a charter element in its business for the foreseeable future.
In the scheduled market it will compete with low-cost carriers, although its aim is to differentiate itself by allowing passengers to 'build their own class' by offering a menu of paid, add-on options such as hot meals and allocated seats.

Monarch Airlines, the UK leisure airline has chosen Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines to power its 787st. The engine deal covers six firm aircraft orders and four purchase rights; it also includes a TotalCare service agreement valued at $1 billion at list prices. Monarch is due to take delivery of the 787 aircraft in 2010. The deal is the first UK Trent 1000 order and celebrates 25 years of Monarch and Rolls-Royce working closely together.

UK holiday carrier Monarch Airlines has emerged as the latest customer to cancel its [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] order, confirming it was the carrier behind last week's axing of six aircraft from the twinjet's backlog.

The company said it has "reassessed its decision" to purchase the aircraft, following plans disclosed in June to concentrate on reinforcing its scheduled short-haul operations.

But it added that the cancellation "does not affect" the plan by its maintenance arm, Monarch Aircraft Engineering, to support the 787.

Monarch said the maintenance division was "committed" to providing line and base services for the twinjet from early next year, along with its support for [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], 757, 767 and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] jets.

"[We] will see further expansion into new UK bases and new routes from 2012, while remaining dedicated to supporting [our] long-standing tour operator partner needs," said the airline.

"Further consideration will be given to developing and strengthening long-haul options in the future."

Monarch, which revealed its plan to acquire the Rolls-Royce Trent-powered 787s in 2006, had originally intended to take delivery from 2010. But it recently said that delays to the programme had pushed their introduction back to around 2014.

Its order cancellation brings the number of 787s in the firm backlog down to 821.

Monarch Group chief executive Conrad Clifford has stepped down from his position as chief executive of the UK-based travel firm, after less than 18 months on the job.

Monarch executive chairman Iain Rawlinson will take over from Clifford while a replacement is sought.

"We are already engaged in the process of finding a replacement, with a strong focus on the airline growth plan and unlocking the full benefits of Monarch being a unified travel group," said Rawlinson in a statement.

"The group has made a satisfactory start to the new financial year, with the performance of our three operating divisions in line with the business plan."

Clifford was appointed chief executive of Monarch Group - which includes UK leisure carrier Monarch Airlines - in September 2010.

He joined from Emirates, where he had held the role of vice-president for UK and Ireland. Prior to that he was chief executive of Virgin Nigeria.

Clifford's resignation comes just over a year after the departure of Monarch Airlines managing director Tim Jeans.

Monarch Airlines operates a fleet of 30 aircraft on scheduled and charter flights from several UK airports, among them London Gatwick, London Luton, Manchester and Birmingham.

Monarch Plans 45-Jet Order Next Year in Low-Cost Carrier Pursuit

Monarch Airlines Ltd. said it will order 45 single-aisle aircraft before the end of 2013 as it retires older jets and seeks to transform itself from a charter carrier into a discount operator along the lines of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]

The planes would be delivered through 2021, Executive Chairman Iain Rawlinson said in an interview. While Monarch’s fleet is mainly from Airbus SAS’s A320-series, it will consider buying 737s from [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and models from other manufacturers.

“This is going to be a very important element to making Monarch properly benchmarked with the low-cost carriers,” Rawlinson said today by telephone. The airline, which has typically operated a mixture of jets, will seek to streamline the fleet around a single type, he said.

Monarch, based at Luton airport, north of London, will take delivery of two Airbus A320s and two A321s next year, boosting the total to 38 aircraft.