It's go-time for Santa Claus' magical mission, with Airservices Australia's official Santa Flight Management Team gearing up to provide 24/7 flightpath tracking to guide Jolly Old Saint Nick and his reindeer to safety this Christmas.
Airservices' national network of 3700 professionals - led by our highly skilled and passionate air traffic controllers (ATCs), engineers, technicians and aviation rescue fire fighters at Australia's busiest airports - will be tirelessly working behind the scenes to ensure everything runs smoothly and safely for Santa on his epic worldwide journey.
As the nation's air navigation service provider, Airservices' ATCs at 29 air traffic control towers, two major centres in Melbourne and Brisbane and terminal control units in Sydney and Perth will use state-of-the-art surveillance technology to track Santa's sleigh twice every second and ensure he navigates those precarious tight turns, descents and rooftop skims.
Santa can also count on us to ensure a safe and efficient journey, thanks to Airservices' huge team of engineers, technicians and aviation rescue fire fighters at 27 Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting (ARFF) service stations across the nation, who will help him safely navigate countless present drops - all without being seen!
The finer details of his route, of course, remain classified as Top Secret Santa (TSS) business, but Airservices can share that under the call sign 'Red One', Santa will commence his global circumnavigation in the Pacific Islands and New Zealand.
He'll enter Australian airspace overnight near Norfolk Island before zig-zagging across the nation to deliver presents. After ensuring every stop is made before the sun rises, he'll exit Australian airspace via the Cocos Islands.
To ensure a smooth journey, Airservices has also issued a special flight operations notice, known as a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), providing all pilots with critical updates to clear the way for Santa's magical flight.
Airservices CEO Rob Sharp said few people were privy to the extraordinary safety measures Airservices' ATCs, engineers, technicians and aviation rescue fire fighters employed each year to ensure a safe journey for Santa and his crew of reindeer.
"You wouldn't believe some of the tight spots Santa has gotten himself into over the years, including unscheduled reindeer refuelling stops at remote airports, weather-related diversions to keep Santa safe, to ensure that presents were delivered before children were out of bed, or our Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting crews rolling out to assist when the landing gear got stuck on his sleigh," Mr Sharp said.
"Christmas is a busy time for air travel, so our dedicated national Santa Flight Management Team is committed to ensuring the safety of Santa and his flight crew as they share Australia's skies, with thousands of people making their way home or off to enjoy their holidays.
"All that remains is for all the good boys and girls (big and small alike) to get to bed early come Christmas Eve."
Keep an eye on Santa's dedicated Airservices Facebook page to see our preparations for the arrival of Red One.
About Airservices
Airservices Australia is a government-owned organisation responsible for safely and efficiently managing air traffic in 11 per cent of the world's airspace, as well as the provision of aviation rescue fire fighting services at Australia's busiest airports. We are regulated by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and work closely with our customers and industry to support the long-term growth of the aviation industry.
