Feds OK Santa's flight path, airborne sleigh

ajc.com

Credit: Andria Brooks

Credit: Andria Brooks

Kris Kringle has now obtained all the required bona fides from the U.S. government to proceed with his annual Christmas Eve deliveries.

The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday approved an application submitted by Kringle (doing business as "Santa Claus") for special air transportation operating authority.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced the news at a press conference, adding that Kringle's "airborne sleigh" is to be drawn by eight reindeer and has on hand a ninth reindeer equipped with supplemental safety and navigation gear.

You can view the brief press conference in its entirety below.

Responsibility for tracking the sleigh's progress falls under the authority of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

Now in its 60th year, the Official NORAD Santa Tracker will monitor the jolly gentleman throughout the duration of his flight. The Tracker and countdown clock are publicly accessible at www.noradsanta.org [external link] .