United Airlines Flies Dozens of Kids to the ‘North Pole’ Ahead of Christmas

United Airlines has made a heartwarming effort to connect with its passengers during the holiday season, announcing that it flew dozens of kids to the “North Pole” for Christmas.

According to WBUR, United Airlines has operated annual Fantasy Flights throughout the holiday season for the past 30 years. Children in hospitals across the United States who are terminally ill get the opportunity to go on immersive excursions that include elves and messages from Santa Claus himself.

One of these flights, commanded by Captain Bob Zimmerman, departed from Denver, Colorado. He claims that everything went smoothly.

“It was a beautiful day when we took off, and leaving Denver was clear and crisp,” he said to the outlet. “Just a little bit of turbulence on the climb out, but once we headed north, it was a smooth ride all the way.”

After taking off, the aircraft circled Denver for a while before beginning its descent. According to Zimmerman, children were told to pull their window shades as the plane descended again because the North Pole is a top-secret site.

When the jet touched down at the airport, the children went to a United Airlines hangar and got off. Games, snacks, and the opportunity for kids to sit on Santa’s lap and give him their Christmas wishes were all part of the celebration.

“It reminds you of what it’s like to be a child and to believe,” Zimmerman said to the outlet. “I think that’s one of the greatest gifts we get to see through them: to remember the joy and the magic of Christmas.”

United Airlines Added 8 New Destinations

Meanwhile, the airline added eight new destinations to its lineup in October as part of its worldwide expansion efforts.

In a news release, United announced its largest overseas expansion in its history, adding service to eight new cities. These locations include Madeira Island, Portugal; Faro, Portugal; Palermo, Sicily; Bilbao, Spain; and Nuuk, Greenland. Additionally, the airline is launching a new year-round flight to Dakar, Senegal, three new nonstop routes from Washington, D.C./Dulles, and nonstop flights to Nice, France, and Venice, Italy.

United will be the first airline to provide nonstop flights to locations no other U.S. airline currently serves, departing from Newark/New York. “The airline will also increase the number of weekly direct flights between Newark/New York-Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Newark/New York-Dubrovnik, Croatia, and Newark/New York-Athens, Greece,” per the release.