Monarch's collapse will mean holidaymakers being flown home on special charters. | Toby Melville

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Monarch Airlines has ceased trading and all future bookings have been cancelled. The company had been in talks with the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) about the renewal of its licence to sell package holidays. The deadline for this expired at midnight (Sunday).

There are said to be some 110,000 Monarch customers overseas at present. The CAA is to charter more than thirty planes to take people back to the UK. These customers overseas are being told that anyone due to fly in the next fortnight will be taken back to the UK at no cost and that they will not need to cut short their stays. Customers due to fly out of the UK with Monarch are being advised not to go to airports. Those who have made bookings from 15 December will not be able to claim.

The collapse of Monarch Airlines extends to Monarch Holidays, First Aviation, Avro and Somewhere2stay.

In the Balearics, it is said that the number of tourists affected runs into the thousands.

The CAA has helplines: 0044 1753 330330 from overseas and 0300 303 2800 from the UK and Ireland.