Following the announcement on Monday (October 2) that Monarch Airlines would cease trading, 1,858 employees have been made redundant. Of these, 1,760 employees were from Monarch Airlines and 98 employed by Monarch Travel Group.

Blair Nimmo, partner at KPMG and the joint administrator, said: “Since our appointment, one of our key priorities has been to speak to all of the companies’ employees across all locations and provide them with the support and assistance they need at this distressing time.”

Nimmo also said that Monarch’s 17 HR staff members had been retained, to provide assistance and help in making claims to the redundancy payments office.

He said: “Their support, at what is also a very difficult time for them, has been crucial and we are very grateful to them.

“Within the next 48 hours, all employees will be receiving a substantial pack of correspondence from the joint administrators to assist them in making their claims.”

Nimmo also said that the Monarch HR team had been in contact with Unite and Balpa, who have been “proactive in speaking to airlines to source job opportunities”.

“We have also been contacted by a number of employers both in Luton and elsewhere who have vacant positions available, and we are ensuring that we are diligently cascading this information to the Monarch HR teams and the unions.”