A group of 40 terminally-ill and severely disabled children have had their ‘dreams shattered’ after an annual flight with Santa was cancelled just days before take-off.
Jet2 axed the trip for children and carers from Martin House Children’s Hospice in Wetherby claiming they had not been told the level of medical care the children would need to fly.
The flight had been due to take off from the West Yorkshire airport on December 13 and allow the children to meet Santa while circling in UK airspace.
The budget airline had taken over the flight from Monarch after they went bust in October but now claim they couldn’t now provide a ‘safe and enjoyable flight’ due to not having been made aware of the amount of special assistance required.
A new replacement flight has not been organised meaning the children, some of whom are fighting for their lives and may not live until next Christmas, can’t go on the dream trip.
18-month-old Oliver Venner was due to go on the trip and his mother Laura said: ‘Their dreams are shattered after the news was broken about it being cancelled. We don’t know how long we have got with Oliver so having a magical Christmas for him and us as a family making memories is very important to us. Time is very precious to us now’.
Oliver Venner, pictured left today and right as a newborn baby, is among a group of children have had their dream of meeting Santa shattered
Jet2 axed the trip for children and carers from Martin House Children’s Hospice in Wetherby claiming they had not been told the level of medical care the children would need
Leeds Bradford Airport has apologised for any upset caused and admit it was incorrect to cite ‘unexpected scheduling change’ as the reason for the Santa Flight being cancelled.
Baby Oliver, pictured on his first Christmas last year, was due to meet Santa in mid-air until the flight was cancelled at the last minute
Jet2 claim Leeds Bradford had not discussed the number of passengers with them or passed on details of the children’s individual needs.
David and Laura Venner’s 18-month-old son Oliver suffers from cystic fibrosis and had been invited on the annual flight.
They claim they were ‘heartbroken’ and ‘hysterical’ to learn the flight had been cancelled.
The couple, along with other angry parents whose children were invited on the trip, are now calling on Jet2 and Leeds Bradford Airport to reschedule the flight or offer an alternative for what could be their children’s last Christmas.
Laura, 35, from Leeds, said: ‘It’s shocking how they’ve let families down when some children are very ill and this will probably be their very last Christmas.
‘Daily life [caring for Oliver and his sister, who also has cystic fibrosis] is stressful, hard work, tiring and exhausting.
‘Oliver requires constant 24/7 round-the-clock care, with feeds, intense physio and constant medication to keep him well.
‘He spent six months in hospital from birth and is now fed through a feeding machine. He’s nil by mouth and blind.
‘He cannot sit unaided, he can’t walk and, like his twin sister Maisie, he can’t crawl or talk. He’s always monitored closely and this is why we rely on respite for a bit of a break so we can enjoy time as a family together rather than just feeling like we are more like his carers than his parents.
‘He’s such a warrior, he’s shown us how far he’s come fighting each day to be here. We didn’t think we would ever be able to bring him home from hospital.’
The Venner family pictured together with children Abbie, Sophie, Maisie and Oliver with their mother Laura
The families of the 40 children were all sent this email inviting them on the trip asking them to set out the needs of their children – but Jet2 later cancelled saying they ‘couldn’t now provide a ‘safe and enjoyable flight’
Laura and Oliver’s dad, David, are now planning to take their five children to see Santa elsewhere but claim nothing will make up for the look on their children’s faces when they broke the news.
David and Laura Venner with their disabled children Oliver and Maisie
David, 46, said: ‘It’s as low as you can get, we are angry and disappointed.
‘To have to explain to the kids that it’s been cancelled, they don’t understand that. They can’t understand why Santa doesn’t want to meet them.
‘My daughter, Abbie [Venner], who’s four, was in hysterics last night. She and my two-year-old Thomas were getting quite upset.
‘When we saw her face, she was heartbroken. We had to explain that the company wouldn’t let Santa use the plane but she doesn’t understand.
‘Many of those children are terminally ill. For some of them this could be their last chance to do this.’
After Monarch Airlines went into administration in October, Jet2 agreed to take on the Santa flight and offered Martin House seats on the plane for some of their patients and families.
David said he doesn’t know how the plane company could justify cancelling a flight in one of their quieter periods. He has now had to try and explain to four children under four years old why they can’t meet Santa.
Oliver and his sister Maisie, who also has health problems and cannot talk or crawl
David said: ‘We’d spoken to the children about the flight and getting to meet Santa so they had something to look forward to.
‘We wanted to give them something to be excited about after all the time Oliver has spent in hospital.
‘Although we have twins with cystic fibrosis, Oliver is the patient at Martin House and he goes there for respite a number of times throughout the year.
‘Oliver attends Martin House a number of times per year for respite and he had been there last week while Laura and I were on holiday.
‘When we went to pick up Oliver on Wednesday the hospice told us that Jet2’s official statement was blaming the rescheduling of the flight and aircrew..
‘They said they no longer had the availability to do the flight now. It just don’t think it’s a feasible excuse when this is a quieter period.
Oliver and other children were due to fly on Tuesday and no replacement has been organised
‘Maybe I’m being cynical but I can’t believe that an airline is planning flights that they don’t have the aircrew available for.
‘Even if they couldn’t do it on that day, they should reschedule or plan another activity.
‘The plan for the day was that we would go to the airport in the morning, board the flight around lunchtime then the flight would be an hour long.
‘On that flight they simulate Santa and his reindeers landing on the plane roof then a few minutes later, Santa walks out and the children will get to meet him and get a present.
‘We will take them to see Santa elsewhere but Abbie’s four and has never been on a plane so was really excited.
‘I’d actually booked the day off work so we could all go on the flight and enjoy some time together as a family. It was meant to be a special day out for all of us.’
A Jet2 spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that we were recently approached about the possibility of operating a Santa Flight at the request of Leeds Bradford Airport, following the collapse of another airline who previously operated these flights.
‘Despite our best efforts to operate this flight at very late notice, we were provided with an inadequate level of detail required to operate a safe and enjoyable flight, such as special assistance and medical requirements, or passenger numbers.
‘As a result, a decision was taken with the airport to look at operating a Santa Flight next year, and we are already in discussion with them about making this a truly memorable flight.
‘In an email to Martin House, Leeds Bradford Airport attributed this to an ‘unexpected scheduling change’ which was not the case and which they have since acknowledged was incorrect.
‘We sincerely apologise for any upset that this has caused, however the health, safety and well-being of everybody onboard our aircraft is our number one priority and we will never compromise on that.’
Oliver (pictured with his siblings) is fed through a feeding machine and blind
A Martin House spokesman said: ‘We received the offer to take part in the flight on November 22 by Leeds Bradford Airport on behalf of themselves and Jet2.
‘On November 28 we received a request via our contact at Leeds Bradford, on behalf of Jet2, for detailed information about the families who had taken up the offer, including details of the medical needs of our poorly children.
‘This information was collated by staff here on November 28, and was ready to be returned to Leeds Bradford Airport on November 29.
‘However, before we had the opportunity to send this over, we were informed that the flight was to be cancelled.’
Chief executive of Martin House, Martin Warhurst, said: ‘We are incredibly disappointed that the Search for Santa flight could not go ahead.
‘We were offered the opportunity for some of our families to take places on the flight, however we were advised last week that the flight could not take place.
‘Once we were informed by the airport that the flight would not go ahead, we contacted our families as quickly as possible to let them know.
‘I know that this has been very disappointing for some families and I offer my sincere apologies for the distress that this may have caused.
‘Christmas is an important time at Martin House and our focus is always on providing opportunities for families to celebrate together and create special memories.’
A Leeds Bradford Airport spokesman said: ‘Leeds Bradford Airport recognises that it was incorrect to cite ‘unexpected scheduling change’ as the reason for the Santa Flight being cancelled.
‘The airport apologies for any confusion and upset caused. We look forward to working with Jet2.com to look at operating a Santa Flight next year.’