Airservices prepares for Santa’s visit to Australia

Australia’s provider of air traffic control services, Airservices Australia, is set to share its preparations for Santa’s visit to Australia on Christmas Eve, with the 2014 launch of its dedicated Santa website and Facebook page earlier this week.

The website and Facebook page will give Australians an insider’s view on Santa’s plans for his flight on Christmas Eve—one of the busiest nights of the year in Australian airspace.

Airservices Executive General Manager Corporate and Industry Affairs, Mairi Barton, said the organisation’s air traffic controllers and behind-the-scenes staff played an important role in keeping Santa, and his reindeers, safe.

“While our air traffic controllers will be working on Christmas Eve to keep other aircraft well clear of Santa’s flight path on the night, plenty of other Airservices staff have also played a role in ensuring everything is set for the night,” Ms Barton said.

“This year we’ll be keeping an eye on Santa using satellite technology to safely and accurately track him using Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast­­­­—or ADS-B for short.”

This is now used by Australian air traffic controllers each year to track and provide assistance to Santa in delivering presents to all of the homes he needs to reach.

Airservices is leading the world in using this technology. Santa’s sleigh was fitted with ADS-B in 2009 and he was one of the first to use Australia’s satellite network that Christmas.

With a super-fast refresh rate of twice every second, ADS-B means air traffic controllers can keep track of Santa when he is flying in our skies to ensure his flight across the nation goes safely and smoothly.

Get a sneak peek of Airservices Santa preparations on our website and check back each day up to Christmas for new content including videos, Santa’s flight path and visit to Airservices Melbourne Centre, plus games and activities for the kids.

Visit www.airservicesaustralia.com/santa or www.facebook.com/airservicessanta for the latest news on Santa or follow us on Twitter, @AirservicesNews