 "Santa's sleigh is live on Flightradar24. Credits/Flightradar24")
If you have ever found yourself refreshing a flight tracking app a little too often before a holiday trip, here’s some festival validation. Even Santa is trackable in real time these days.
Yes, that’s true. This Christmas eve, aviation enthusiasts and curious travellers alike can track Santa live on Flightradar24 , where he’s known to pop up while warming up the reindeer and testing sleigh upgrades ahead of the big night. Call it a pre-flight check: North Pole style.
It turns out the world’s most famous traveller has officially entered the age of real-time tracking. Only Santa’s ride comes with zero emissions, a global route map and a delivery schedule no airline could ever match.
Flightradar24 is not the only place to keep tabs on the red-suited frequent flyer. For several decades, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has been tracking Santa’s journey across the globe. What began as a happy accident has now become a beloved holiday tradition in aviation lore.
Every December, ‘NORAD Tracks Santa' goes live. It offers real-time updates as Santa departs the North pole, zigzags across continents and races against time zones to deliver gifts. The experience includes animated maps, funny flight details such as Santa’s flight number is ‘Santa 1’ and his registration type is Hohoho!
For families, it is a magical way to blend travel curiosity with Christmas wonder. For aviation geeks, it’s proof that flight tracking doesn’t have to be all tail numbers and altitude readouts. For children who believe in the existence of Santa, this tracker is an absolute evidence and reason for heightened excitement.
The live tracker is also available on Youtube and is trending on number 1 in terms of viewership.
In a season packed with delayed flights, overstuffed carry-ons and crowded terminals, tracking Santa offers a lighter side of travel. Atleast, this flight will arrive on time.
So whether you are watching him glide over your country on the tracker, one thing is clear, Santa remains the ultimate long-haul traveller.
Unlike the rest of us, he never seems to lose his luggage.
Arpita Chowdhury is Sub Editor (Travel) at Firstpost. She is a writer, poet, and researcher with a strong background in human interest storytelling. She completed her MA in Journalism and International Affairs at University College Dublin in collaboration with CNN Academy. Her reporting and commentary have appeared in numerous national and international dailies. She runs on masala chai. Arpita can be reached out at arpita.chowdhury2@nw18.com