Santa Claus starting as Finnair pilot – “This has been a secret dream of mine since my childhood”
We’re thrilled to finally get to reveal that Santa Claus has completed his pilot training and will begin his new career as a Finnair long-haul pilot on 1 April.
The very first morning of April 2022 is crisp but beautiful at Helsinki Airport. Spring is already in the air, along with special kind of magic, the kind that only the presence of Santa Claus can create. And we will, in fact, be seeing Santa Claus more and more at our home hub, Helsinki Airport, as from today onwards, he will work as a Finnair pilot.
Finnair has been the official airline of Santa Claus already since 1983. “Now this special title will get a whole new meaning, and we will literally be Santa’s official airline,” Finnair says. It was also back in 1983 when Finnair flew its first direct flight from Helsinki to Tokyo, crossing the North Pole. This special route is now operated once again after a break of close to 30 years. We believe that Santa’s incredible world knowledge will be a great help on those flights.
Santa Claus tells that being a pilot has been a dream of his since he was a child and that he’s always been fascinated by aircraft. In the beginning, Santa will work as an A350 co-pilot on Finnair’s long-haul flights. He is especially eager to get to fly to the warm and sunny beach destinations, as it’s been a long and dark winter in Lapland. Santa hopes to also get the popular Mars destination on his roster that Finnair successfully opened last April, since it’s one of the few places he has yet to visit.
We have modified our cockpit so that Santa’s dear reindeer Rudolf will be able to join him on his work trips – without compromising safety, of course. Numerous airports have also done special arrangements, and they are eagerly waiting for Rudolf and Santa Claus to arrive. It’s no secret that Santa is used to eating big portions, so Finnair Kitchen will kindly prepare an extra-large meal for him using fresh ingredients from the Finnish nature. The amount of Finnair’s famous blueberry juice has also been increased on Santa’s flights. Finnair’s customers can order the new Santa Claus special meal on their flights for an extra cost.
It is for sure that Santa’s life will drastically change, yet one thing is certain. He will definitely not give up on his passion for delivering presents to children around the world: “It is my mission in life and a huge honour.” As a Finnair pilot, Santa hopes to be able to bring more magic to travellers and special kind of joy to both children and adults after the difficult months of coronavirus pandemic.