Authorities have leased 30 aircraft to bring Monarch customers back home

LONDON - British authorities are scrambling to bring home 110,000 travelers after Monarch Airlines collapsed on Monday, canceling all flights by what had been Britain's fifth-largest carrier.

The Civil Aviation Authority said it has leased 30 aircraft to transport Monarch customers scattered around holiday destinations ranging from Turkey to Spain and Sweden. Flights will be provided at no additional cost to passengers.

"This is a hugely distressing situation for British holidaymakers abroad, and my first priority is to help them get back to the UK," Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said in a statement. "That is why I have immediately ordered the country's biggest ever peacetime repatriation to fly about 110,000 passengers who could otherwise have been left stranded."

About 860,000 customers in all are affected, and 750,000 have future bookings.

Monarch folded after failing to reach a deal with regulators to extend the company's license to sell package holidays to overseas destinations. Monarch Chief Executive Andrew Swaffield said the airline's troubles stemmed from recent terror attacks in Egypt and Tunisia and the "decimation" of the tourist trade in Turkey.

The CAA is advising Monarch customers who are trying to get home from abroad to visit the agency's website for information about their flights. Passengers who were preparing to leave the UK on Monarch flights should not go to the airport.

The first repatriation flight carrying 165 passengers from the Spanish resort island of Ibiza had already arrived at London's Gatwick Airport, the aviation authority said.

"The scale and challenge of this operation means that some disruption is inevitable," agency CEO Andrew Haines said. "We ask customers to bear with us as we work around the clock to bring everyone home."

Monarch's collapse represents the biggest failure of a British airline.

KPMG partner Blair Nimmo said administrators are now considering breaking up the company as no buyer has been found to purchase Monarch in its entirety. Counting the airline and tour operator business, the company had 2,100 employees.

"All future holidays and flights provided by these companies have been canceled and are no longer operating," the company said.

Grayling said on Monday he had spoken to other airlines about hiring those employees.

Among those affected was a British couple who had intended to fly to Gran Canaria, Spain with their family to get married.

Bricklayer Alan Jee, 42, was five minutes away from his scheduled flight time when he learned the news. The flights for 30 of his friends and family - including fiancee Donna Smith - were also affected.

"My missus just burst straight into tears, and my mother-in-law and my mum," he said. "They (Monarch) are doing absolutely nothing about it whatsoever, they've palmed us off."

AFP - AP - Reuters