The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued Santa Claus and his sleigh special commercial flight permissions to visit the International Space Station.
Father Christmas can now enjoy "special operating authority to engage in interstate air-cargo-delivery services directly to rooftops throughout the United States on Christmas Eve," the FAA's statement reads.
Claus is said to be using his "StarSleigh-1 space capsule powered by Rudolph Rocket," according to the FAA.
FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said he was delighted to help Santa travel safely through the National Airspace System to bring his special and common brand of goodwill and joy to children and adults of all ages-including those orbiting Earth.
Luckily, Claus decided to fly while wearing "a mask to set a good example for anyone traveling by air this holiday season." The news comes following the country's leading infectious disease specialist, Anthony Fauci, who told children that he had already vaccinated Santa Claus.
"I took care of that for you, because I was worried that you would all be upset," Fauci said at the CNN-Sesame Street Town Hall on the weekend.
All in the Spirit of Christmas
As a humanitarian, Santa knows that Christmas is different from other years and completely agrees with the decision of the FAA to give priority to flights carrying COVID-19 vaccinations and other cargo essential to the nation's response to the ongoing public health emergency.
However, with the assistance of a flight schedule that takes advantage of simpler air routes and NextGen satellite navigation, Santa is assured that he can deliver all his presents by Christmas morning, as he has done for decades.
In addition, Santa told the FAA that he was going to FlyHealthy on his trip by wearing a face mask on his flight to set a positive example for those traveling by air this holiday season.
In order to ensure that Santa and all other pilots have a safe flight, the FAA requests the public for help and avoid causing a significant safety danger with drones and lasers. Sending a drone to take a photo or video of an aircraft or a sleigh distracts the pilots and scares the reindeer, while holiday laser-light displays pointed to the sky may momentarily blind the pilots.
Track Santa's advancement as he journeys around the U.S. by accessing the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) website, where NORAD follows Santa's Christmas Eve trip.
