Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Monarch Airlines denies rumours it is going bust

'This is nothing to do with Monarch Airlines, please ignore the rumours'

Adam Withnall
Sunday 25 September 2016 17:59 BST
Comments
Monarch Airbus A320 in flight
Monarch Airbus A320 in flight

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The UK budget airline Monarch has denied rumours it is going bust, amid growing concerns among passengers that their bookings may be at risk.

Speculation began to circulate on Sunday afternoon that the airline, a 48-year-old British aviation icon, was set to close.

The airline continued to advertise holiday deals and take bookings for flights late into Sunday evening.

These are the 20 safest airlines in the world

And while nothing was sent out to the 113,000 followers of Monarch's verified Twitter account, the airline has begun replying directly to customers asking if the rumours are true.

"Hi there, the rumours are not true. Please ignore them," the airline tweeted at a user Ashy Williams, who had said the speculation was "coming out of Manchester airport" and asked "what do we do about our flights?"

Another user, Steven Bowie, asked why "are there aircraft coming to the UK for repatriation flights". Monarch said: "Hi Steven, this is nothing to do with Monarch Airlines, please ignore the rumours."

That tweet was among a number which suggested the rumours stem from eagle-eyed flight spotters. Another asked: "Why are United Airlines covering the exact same flights and times as your routes."

Asked directly by Adam Farmiloe - "Are you going bust tonight? Hope not, we have flights booked" - Monarch replied: "Absolutely not Adam. We hope you have a great flight, where are you off to?"

Click here to compare flight options with Skyscanner

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in