By BA Staff
The US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Santa Claus, his elfin crew and the Santa One sleigh are GO for the annual round-the-world flight that will deliver presents to good boys and girls everywhere.
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said:
“This is my first holiday season as Secretary of Transportation, and I feel a special responsibility to make sure Santa’s flight goes off without a hitch,”
While there were no external changes to Santa One this year, FAA inspectors put in many hours ensuring that the sleigh’s systems – and especially its crew – met all applicable regulations. The agency approved installation of a state-of-the-art Wi-Fi system so Santa’s helpers can use their Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) to connect with the internet. Thanks to the FAA’s policy change in late October, the elves may now use their PEDs from take-off to landing to keep in touch with the North Pole.
The Jolly Old Elf himself will employ modern computer technology in the sleigh’s captain’s seat. After an evaluation period, FAA inspectors gave Santa a thumbs-up to use a tablet computer instead of paper documents to store his flight plan, chimney approach charts and Naughty-or-Nice checklist.
FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said:
“We’re helping Santa fly smarter and faster while making sure he has a safe and successful mission”
