Monarch Airlines conducts strategy review

UK-based scheduled leisure carrier Monarch Airlines is carrying out a major review of its operations to plot its future course, and has begun talks with potential strategic partners. Reports on UK satellite TV channel Sky News said the London Luton-based carrier was discussing options with financial and professional services company KPMG and was considering pivoting its operations away from short-haul flights to long-haul operations. The European short-haul market has become ferociously competitive, with LCCs such as Ireland’s Ryanair, UK’s easyJet, Norwegian and Europe’s Wizz Air increasingly pulling traffic away from legacy carriers. Several airlines are focusing more on long-haul services in the search for improved profits—although this market sector is also coming under pressure from new-generation, low-cost long-haul carriers such as Norwegian and International Airline Group’s Level.<br/>