A couple’s £15k dream wedding on a private Gran Canaria ‘love island’ is in tatters – because Monarch cancelled their flights.
The heartbroken couple and 30 members of their family have been left ‘high and dry’ at Gatwick Airport after the airline went bust overnight.
Builder Alan Jee, 42, said he has been saving for the tropical wedding for ‘years’ and now fears he will have to cancel – because they can’t get there.
Speaking at the airport today (Mon) morning, the dad-of-two said: “My missus is in tears mate.
“I have got 30 people here, they have travelled from all over the country, I’ve spent £12,000 to £15,000.
“Monarch have just told us we have to book new flights with other airlines, I am going to really struggle to do that.
“The prices have gone up from around £120 return to £480 return.
“We were meant to be flying out at 5.30am, ten minutes before we were due to board a tannoy announcement went out informing everyone that the flight had been cancelled.
Alan, from Bournemouth, was set to marry sweetheart Donna Smith, 40, on Saturday morning, but they have a lot of planning and preparation still left to do.
He added: “We have been left high and dry.
“We were meant to be seeing the wedding planners tomorrow, my missus was getting her hair done on Wednesday, it’s all ruined.
“We have been engaged for two years, I wanted everything to be right.
“We hired out a private love island, it is shaped like a little love heart.
“We might have to sleep in the airport to see what we can get later in the week, all my family have coaches booked and paid for so they are stuck here too.
“Even if we do get out there we will have probably spent all our money on hotels, I can’t believe this has happened.”
Monarch Airlines ceased trading overnight meaning 300,000 future bookings for flights and holidays have been cancelled.
About 110,000 customers are currently overseas and the government has asked the Civil Aviation Authority to charter more than 30 planes to bring them back to the UK.
