REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE MARY PETERS
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION

SANTA SKYLANES
ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, MD

DECEMBER 18, 2008
1 PM EST


Thank you, Col. Shepro, for that introduction. And General Jodice, thank you for your hospitality in hosting us today here at Andrews Air Force Base.

We have a very exciting holiday announcement, and it would not have been possible without the help and cooperation of our friends at the Defense Department.

This is the time of year when we reflect on our blessings. I count among them the thousands of troops who are stationed near and far this holiday season, defending our freedom and bringing hope and opportunity to countries around the world.

I know we have children here from military families who will be separated from their loved ones over the holidays. May God bless them and grant them a safe return. And please know how proud we are of their service, and how very grateful we are to you for giving your country a part of your family.

This jolly fellow standing next to me has a pretty big job too. And President Bush knows how important it is to all good little boys and girls for him to be able to make his deliveries on time.

So, as we do each year, we have cut through red tape to give Santa a green light on December 24.

We have inspected and certified his reindeer and sleigh.

We have given them landing rights on rooftops across the United States.

We even entered into an “Open Skies” agreement with the North Pole.

Still, we know this is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year. The skies can get very busy with so many people flying home to spend time with their families.

So last month, President Bush announced we would be adding more capacity for all those planes up there by opening military airspace to civilian aircraft.

This is something we tried last year, and it worked really well. The “Holiday Express Lanes” allowed some East Coast flights to trim 100 miles off their trips. And over 4,800 flights used the California military airspace in the Christmas-New Year’s period, saving 99,000 miles.

This year, we have expanded the Holiday Express Lanes to areas of the Midwest, the Southwest, and the West Coast – including the skies over Phoenix and Los Angeles.
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, almost 2,400 flights transitioned normally restricted military airspace. The routes were especially helpful in getting around bad weather on November 30, the busy Sunday after Thanksgiving.

We will open the Holiday Express Lanes again next week – in most cases generally from December 23 to 26, and again from December 30 to January 2.

And I am here today to announce that, thanks to our friends at the Defense Department, we will be adding special “Santa Skylanes.”

We know Santa Claus must adhere to a really tight schedule to get to every house on his list. Allowing Santa to use military airspace will ensure that crowded skies won’t mean empty stockings on Christmas morning. It just wouldn’t do to have the gridlock Grinch stealing Christmas.

You can see the Santa Skylanes marked on the map. They will provide a clear path for “North Pole One,” the special call sign we will use for Santa’s sleigh when he crosses military airspace.

Further, because Santa will be able to plot a more efficient and direct flight plan, less reindeer energy will be used.

And with Rudolph’s red nose beaming its special signal, the Pentagon will have no problem identifying the toy-filled sleigh as it travels through military airspace this Christmas.

Santa Skylanes mean no delays for Dasher and Dancer and a happy holiday for all. So I want to thank Col. Shepro and the Air Force for their cooperation in giving Santa and all our holiday travelers a direct flight plan this season.

With your help, children can nestle all snug in their beds on Christmas Eve, confident that Santa Claus is coming to their town.

And now, I would like to ask Col. Shepro to join me in signing a special waiver allowing Santa to use our nation’s military airspace this year.

I now declare the Santa Skylanes cleared and ready for takeoff.

Santa, I want to present you with this map showing the special military airspace routes that will be open to you. You and your elves can use this to chart your Christmas Eve flight plan.

Thank you, and now I know Santa would like to say hello to the boys and girls here today.