Homeowners unhappy as Monarch scrap Gatwick - Granada flights
02.10.07
Regular users of Monarch's Gatwick - Granada (Spain) route are unhappy about the low-cost airline's decision to cancel the service. Many British home owners in the area cannot understand the decision, claiming flights between the two airports were always full.
When Monarch first took off from London Gatwick for Granada in May 2005, the airline touted the Spanish destination as a 'city of culture.' Within two years, it had stepped up its Granada flights to five a week in response to a 30 percent rise in passengers going through Gatwick. The airline claims 62,000 passengers used its Gatwick - Granada route between September 2006-2007, accounting for 5% of the passengers at the Spanish airport.
However, the figures were not enough to persuade the airline to keep the route, and from November 4, the flights will cease. Visitors to Granada will face a four-hour round trip commute as Malaga becomes the airline's sole south of Spain destination from Gatwick.
A Monarch spokesman said that the route was not 'cost effective,' adding: 'Passenger demand on the Granada route has not met expectations and the aircraft [Airbus 320] used to operate these services will accommodate further route developments from Gatwick, which will be announced shortly. Passengers booked to travel after November 4 will be offered alternative flights or a full refund.'
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