With eleven days remaining and approximately 75,392 passengers still to fly back to the UK, the CAA is working around the clock, in conjunction with the government, to deliver the replacement flying programme following the administration of Monarch Airlines.
Yesterday, day four of the flying programme, the CAA operated 58 flights, taking over 10,793 people back to the UK. Dame Deirdre Hutton, Chair of the CAA, said: "Our flying programme to bring home 110,000 people from across the Mediterranean and beyond remains on course, with a total of 34,606 people already back in the UK. We are planning 58 flights on 5 October for an additional 10,793 people. Our operation has thus far gone well and I am very pleased with the progress we have made during the first three days. However, this is a huge undertaking and we still have eleven days to go.
"Everybody at the CAA remains completely focused on this mission. Like any other airline, some of our aircraft have experienced delay, due to both technical faults and bad weather, resulting in frustration for some passengers. We’re very sorry and would like to apologise to anyone who has experienced a delay. I can assure you that we are doing everything within our power to deliver an on-time and efficient service.
"We have also been in contact with more than 2,200 hotel and accommodation providers giving them financial guarantees and ensuring ATOL protected customers can continue their holidays unhindered. We will continue to work with hoteliers should there be any further concerns.
"Over the next eleven days we expect there to be many more challenges and we will continue to work around the clock with our partners to ensure all passengers are both given timely information about their return flight and flown home at no extra cost."
The CAA will be providing regular updates as our flying programme develops. But there have been complaints from people booked on flights back to the UK from Majorca that they have been unable to find out any information about their flights and what their alternatives are.
Between now and 15 October 400 Monarch flights out of the Balearics have been cancelled and some 40,000 people who were booked to fly out to the Balearics between now and then, have lost their flights and been forced to premium rates with other airlines in order to fly here. Yesterday, there were widespread reports of airlines in the UK cashing in on the collapse of Monarch and increasing their fares on routes once served by the 55-year-old airline.
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Supply and demand I suppose. I booked return flights about 3 weeks ago to fly next week. £68 return. The return flight alone is now full with the next available flight £211.
Of course they are going to increase the prices they are like vultures picking over a carcass it’s just pure greed praying on other people’s misery at the time of the collapse the government should have stepped in and frozen all other airlines advertised prices at that moment so as not to let them rip people off ,