Santa’s sleigh has been authorized for travel in Canadian airspace, just in time for Christmas, Ottawa has announced.
Minister of Transport and Internal Trade Anita Anand announced she has consulted with her own team of “elves” and scrutinized multiple key documents, one of which was Santa’s flight plan.
Anand also had the opportunity to meet Santa for the first time since her appointment as the minister of transport, her office said in a Dec. 23 press release. Anand’s virtual meeting with Santa was immortalized in a YouTube video.
“I am delighted to authorize Santa’s travel in Canadian airspace as part of my duties as Minister of Transport and Internal Trade,” Anand said.
Children have the opportunity to monitor the progress of Santa Claus and his reindeer on the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s website on Christmas Eve. The NORAD site also includes a holiday countdown, interactive games, music, and additional festive content.
Parents with an account on the social media platform X can also help their children track Santa by following #NoradTracksSanta.
More than 100,000 kids call into NORAD to inquire about Santa’s location each year. Millions more follow online in nine languages, from English to Japanese.
The annual tradition of NORAD tracking Santa Claus has endured since the 1950s, predating ugly sweater parties and Christmas movie classics like “Home Alone.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
