Jet2 have cancelled a number of Halloween holiday flights from Belfast blaming “ongoing uncertainty” around Covid-19 for their decision.
One Co Down dad told Belfast Live how his family has been devastated by the cancellation.
He said: “The children have recently come into our care and this would have been our first holiday with them as a family together but it would also have been the first time the kids would have been away together as siblings.
“So when we got the news on Friday morning by text, my heart just sank.
“I’d no idea that Jet2 were cancelling flights again due to Covid worries. And there was no real explanation as to why.
“They just said due to uncertainty over the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic they were reducing their winter schedule. But it’s just a nice way of saying they have cancelled a load of flights, including ours.”
He added: “We were due to fly in five weeks’ time and we have no explanation as to what information they’re using to work out what’s going to be happening on October 30.
“We were due to fly to the Canaries from Belfast International Airport for Halloween for a holiday of a lifetime. This would’ve been the first holiday we’d all have been able to take together as a family.
“We’d just never been able to do it before so it was going to be very special and my wife and I had been planning it for a long time.
“We’d told the kids, who’re 11, 14, 15 and 16, that we were planning to go on a break so they were pretty excited. When we told them last week that it was a big, big holiday in the sun, you can imagine how the excitement levels went through the roof.
“As most families know, it’s been a tough couple of years and it takes a lot to get the finances together not just to pay for a family holiday and the insurance but to have enough spending money to be able to relax and enjoy it.
“We are fully supportive of efforts to keep us safe from Covid, but we are gutted about this cancellation and would like a better explanation as to how Jet2 have made their decision.”
A spokesperson for Jet2holidays said: “Due to the ongoing uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, we are constantly reviewing our winter flying programme and some flights have unfortunately had to be cancelled.
“We apologise to any customers affected who, in-line with our customer first-strategy, will automatically receive a full refund.”
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