Jobs under threat in Monarch review

MONARCH Airlines, which has a large operation at Manchester Airport, may be on the verge of cutting hundreds of jobs as part of a review of its operations.

The BBC has claimed that as many as 1,000 jobs – a third of the airline’s workforce – may be under threat as part of a restructure that aims to cut costs and scrap long-haul flights.

It is thought the company wants to consolidate operations on the short-haul sector, which already accounts for about 85% of its business. The reason for the review is thought to be that despite increased capacity in the airline sector, passenger demand remains flat.

Monarch has about 10 aircraft, a quarter of its fleet based at Manchester, and flies to around 50 scheduled and charter destinations from the airport.

In October last year it announced it was to invest heavily in new aircraft and staff training. The move was aimed at doubling the size of the airline’s fleet by 2020. Just last month, it confirmed a £1.75bn order for 30 new Boeing 737 aircraft – a mainstay of the short-haul sector – which are due to be delivered by 2020.

In a statement, the airline confirmed it would move completely to scheduled flying from summer 2015, as it continued with its transformation to become a scheduled European low-cost carrier.

It said: “The continuation of charter services is now incompatible with operating the efficient schedule that Monarch is planning for the future. The decision to withdraw fully from charter flying is part of a strategic review being led by Andrew Swaffield, who was recently appointed chief executive of The Monarch Group.”