Watchdog repeats doubts over tour operator’s Lapland holidays

THE State’s aviation regulator has again expressed serious reservations about the ability of a travel operator to take hundreds of children and their parents to Lapland to meet Santa Claus.

Dublin-based United Travel, prohibited from trading, is desperate to beat the odds of getting their Lapland holidays package off the ground but that looks highly unlikely.

Yesterday, the Commission for Aviation Regulation reiterated United Travel should wind up the business and refund customers in an “orderly fashion”.

The travel company has more than 1,175 bookings for its Lapland package.

It applied for a new tour operator’s licence on Monday and says it is ready to operate its Christmas holiday programme as soon as the licensing is approved.

Some customers have paid more than €4,000 to bring children to Lapland.

The commission revealed yesterday that “very serious questions” remained as to the ability of the company to meet its contractual obligations.

It said it was basing its view on additional information and supporting documentation it had sought from United Travel and that, under these circumstances, the company should wind up the business in an orderly fashion and refund its customers.

United Travel’s operations manager, Fiona Lawlor, said all their planned flights to Lapland had been put forward to next weekend.

“The commission have been looking at our application and have been back and forward to us looking for additional information that we are working on,” said Ms Lawlor.

“We are now setting up operations for next week so we will be ready to go when we get the go ahead from the commission.”

Asked if many customers were demanding their money back, she replied: “Not really. They are an awful lot of people just hanging on now just to see what the outcome will be.”

Ms Lawlor also claimed that the tour operator was getting huge support from the people who had booked holidays with the company.