Monarch flights cancelled as airline goes into administration

The government has asked the Civil Authority to charter more than 30 plans to bring holidaymakers back to the UK in what transport secretary Chris Grayling described as the “biggest ever peacetime repatriation”.

Passengers preparing to leave the country have been advised not to travel to the airport as there are no Monarch flights.

The airline  — the UK’s fifth biggest and the country’s largest ever to collapse — was placed in administration at 4am — a time when there were no Monarch planes in the air.

In all, the 300,000 cancellations could affect up to 750,000 people.

Passengers due to fly home in the next fortnight will be brought back to the UK at no cost to them. There is no need to cut short a stay.

Customers currently overseas should check monarch.caa.co.uk for confirmation of their new flight details — which will be available a minimum of 48 hours in advance of their original departure time.

All affected customers should keep checking monarch.caa.co.uk for more information

The CAA also has a 24-hour helpline: 0300 303 2800 from the UK and Ireland and +44 1753 330330 from overseas.

Transport secretary Mr Grayling said: “This is a hugely distressing situation for British holidaymakers abroad — and my first priority is to help them get back to the UK.”