Monarch Moves Into New Markets

Posted 09/06/2011

UK carrier Monarch Airlines has modified its business model and is now focusing more heavily on its scheduled operations, reducing its charter activities significantly.  As part of this revised outlook, the airline has revealed that it will introduce five new routes during the Northern Summer 2012 schedules with new destinations in Turkey and its first ever summer scheduled flights to Egypt.

The carrier is to add a daily service between London Gatwick and Dalaman from April 26, increasing during the peak summer months to up to eleven rotations; a five times weekly flight to the Turkish city from Manchester from May 1 and a twice weekly link to Antalya from London Gatwick from May 3.  An estimated 1.56 million O&D passengers travelled between the UK and Turkey in the past year and Monarch will compete with easyJet and Pegasus Airlines from London Gatwick and easyJet and Jet2.com from Manchester, as well as charter providers. 

Its new Egypt flights will commence from May 3 and will comprise a three times weekly link to Sharm el Sheikh from London Gatwick and a twice weekly service from Manchester.  easyJet already offers flights to the Egyptian Red Sea destination with four flights per week from London and three from Manchester, routes that it carried an estimated 97,000 and 53,000 O&D passengers, respectively, over the past 12 months.

“The addition of new scheduled services to Turkey and Egypt supports Monarch’s shift to focusing on scheduled flying and enables more customers to take advantage of our innovative ‘build your own class’ service, which gives them the ability to tailor their flight package to their exact requirements, providing a greater sense of freedom and personalisation,” said Kevin George, Managing Director, Monarch Airlines.  “As well as benefiting from a fantastic value fare, customers can also select from a range of optional extras such as extra legroom seating and pre-ordered meals, all of which are perfectly suited for longer flight durations such as Turkey and Egypt”.

Speaking at the recent Institute of Travel & Tourism conference in Venice, Italy, the Chairman of Monarch’s parent company, Fabio Mantegazza outlined more information about the carrier’s revised business model, claiming that it would provide a more balanced relationship with its tour operator partners in a market in which scheduled flying was growing and charter business was not.  “We simply reacted to what the business was telling us which was charter, which is a model that is still valued in some circumstances, is not growing and scheduled is,” he said.

Schedule:

London Gatwick – Dalaman
ZB758 LGW0550 – 1145DLM EQV 4
ZB758 LGW0600 – 1200DLM EQV 23
ZB758 LGW0615 – 1200DLM EQV 1
ZB758 LGW0725 – 1315DLM EQV 7
ZB758 LGW0810 – 1355DLM EQV 6
ZB756 LGW1715 – 2310DLM EQV 5
ZB753 DLM0025 – 0245LGW EQV 6
ZB759 DLM1245 – 1500LGW EQV 4
ZB759 DLM1250 – 1505LGW EQV 2
ZB759 DLM1300 – 1505LGW EQV 3
ZB759 DLM1315 – 1535LGW EQV 1
ZB759 DLM1445 – 1710LGW EQV 7

Manchester – Dalaman
ZB664 MAN0700 – 1320DLM EQV 6
ZB664 MAN0715 – 1335DLM EQV 5
ZB664 MAN0830 – 1450DLM EQV 1
ZB668 MAN1520 – 2140DLM EQV 7
ZB688 MAN1845 – 0105+1DLM EQV 2
ZB669 DLM0205 – 0445MAN EQV 3
ZB665 DLM1420 – 1700MAN EQV 6
ZB665 DLM1435 – 1715MAN EQV 5
ZB665 DLM1610 – 1835MAN EQV 1
ZB665 DLM2240 – 0120+1MAN EQV 7

London Gatwick – Antalya
ZB754 LGW1345 – 1950AYT EQV 7
ZB754 LGW1600 – 2205AYT EQV 4
ZB755 AYT2305 – 0130+1LGW EQV 47

London Gatwick – Sharm el Sheikh
ZB248 LGW1010 – 1720SSH EQV 4
ZB248 LGW1015 – 1720SSH EQV 7
ZB246 LGW1255 – 2010SSH EQV 6
ZB249 SSH1820 – 2145LGW EQV 7
ZB249 SSH1835 – 2200LGW EQV 4
ZB247 SSH2110 – 0045+1LGW EQV 6

Manchester – Sharm el Sheikh
ZB684 MAN1000 – 1720SSH EQV 7
ZB684 MAN1030 – 1750SSH EQV 4
ZB685 SSH1835 – 2220MAN EQV 7
ZB685 SSH1905 – 2250MAN EQV 4

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