Monarch Airlines has launched a withering attack on what it perceives as British political interference in aviation, citing an ”unprecedented threat” to the sector.
Addressing the Low Cost Transport Summit in London, Monarch managing director, Tim Jeans, said: ”The environmental bandwagon in the UK is gathering momentum at alarming speed. Hardly a day goes by without a politician launching an overt or covert attack aimed at aviation.
”Their opportunism is a major threat to our business and the next election may bring forward policy that could rein back demand for UK air travel. The doubling of APD was a blatant piece of opportunism by the Chancellor and not a penny of it is going towards environmental mitigation.”
Noting that APD ”could go higher” Jeans was scathing of any political motivation that purported to address environmental concerns, noting that at the next election, aviation would come ”worryingly high ” not from wanting to save the planet but how I [politicians] can get ahead of the next guy?”
Jeans also reserved harsh words for the current state of UK airports, slating the passenger experience as ”horrendous,” and noting that all people see is ”hassle, queues and stress,” while uneven implementation of security procedures would put passengers off taking discretionary trips.
Warning that customers would simply choose to spend their money elsewhere, Jeans bemoaned his and others” relative inability to control the airport environment. ”We can manage competivity threats but we can”t manage insidious third party factors,” he said.
”We know that passengers arriving at the gate are basically frazzled and there is no doubt that dinner party chatter is changing to ”I”m not travelling this year or I”m going to Devon.””
Despite a recent softening in the market ” due in part to the UK airport experience ” Jeans added that his own carrier had grown 20% during the past year although yield was tough and that it was mulling a low cost long-haul operation.
Monarch will also put a business class service on its six Boeing 787 aircraft currently on order ”from day one” although its final configuration with economy seating is still being evaluated.