Air Bourbon
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Airline Identity
History
Monarch Airlines was founded on 5 June 1967 by British businessmen Bill Hodgson and Don Peacock with Swiss backing from the Mantegazza family, and began charter flying to Madrid in April 1968 from a base at London Luton Airport. It grew into one of the UK's largest leisure carriers, entering the jet age in 1971, becoming the first charter airline to order Boeing 757s in 1981, and later transitioning toward a scheduled, low-cost-style model from 2004. Following its 2014 acquisition by Greybull Capital, the airline suffered repeated financial crises through 2016-2017.
Current Operations
Monarch Airlines no longer operates: it collapsed into administration on 2 October 2017 after failing to secure further financial support, stranding an estimated 110,000 passengers abroad and triggering the UK's largest peacetime repatriation effort. The company was formally dissolved in April 2021 after exiting administration, its take-off and landing slots and other assets were dispersed among other carriers, and no successor airline has revived the Monarch brand as of 2026.
Last verified 2026-09-02· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.
Country of Registration
Country data not available.