Santa and Rudolph Receive Flight Clearance... "COVID Negative and Sleigh Safety Confirmed"

Canada Ministry of Transport Announcement... A Type of 'Santa Location Tracking' Event

The Canadian government announced that it has allowed Santa Claus to pass through its airspace in celebration of Christmas.

According to CTV on the 23rd (local time), Omar Alghabra, Canada's Minister of Transport, said in a special video released that day, "It is an honor to grant permission for Santa and his flight crew of reindeer to fly through Canadian airspace."

He added, "When I communicated with Santa, he assured me that he was fully prepared to deliver gifts to children across Canada," and "I wish all Canadians nationwide, from east to west, a joyful Christmas and festive season."

On the 20th (local time), Santa Claus is jumping from the emergency rescue helicopter SMURD in Romania. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

The government's safety department also stated, "We conducted pre-checks on the landing gear, operation, and communication systems to authorize the safe takeoff of Santa's sleigh," and "We also inspected the reindeer's flight equipment." They further added, "In a message sent to Minister Alghabra, Santa reported that he completed the final tests for this year's flight and that both he and the reindeer tested negative for COVID-19 symptoms."

The announcement of Santa's permission to pass through Canadian airspace is made annually. Last year, authorities stated that since Santa had completed COVID-19 vaccinations and submitted a negative test certificate, he could freely fly over Canadian airspace. At that time, officials also emphasized that although Rudolph's nose was red, pre-flight tests showed no COVID-19 symptoms.

On the 23rd (local time), a firefighter dressed as Santa Claus is riding a jet ski at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by Reuters

This is part of an event designed by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to track Santa's location every year. NORAD, jointly operated by the United States and Canada, is a combined military organization established to track aircraft over North America and defend against potential aerial threats. It mainly tracks airborne objects such as missile early warning satellites.

During the Christmas season, a special mission is added: to track and report Santa's location as he delivers gifts to children worldwide. Since 1995, NORAD has provided a virtual service called "Santa Tracker" through the "NORAD Tracks Santa" program.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.