MONTREAL — For one day out of the year, it’s customary for Santa to leave the reindeer behind and hop on a plane.

Today marks Air Transat and the Children’s Wish Foundation’s Flight with Santa Claus, an annual event that’s been delivering joy to families since 2004.

This year, kids and their families will fly between Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver where they’ll be greeted by elves and animated characters at Air Transat check-in counters in each city. At the boarding gate, a number of festive activities will take place before boarding the plane where, shortly after takeoff, Santa himself will appear in the cabin.

“At Air Transat, it warms our heart to enable hundreds of children and their families to experience a unique and magical moment,” said Annick Guérard, Chief Operating Officer, Transat. “Since 2004, this flight holds a very special place in our hearts and every year, we are amazed by the dedication of the Foundation, our employees, volunteers and collaborators that make this tradition such a wonderful event. They go all out to make this day an unforgettable one.”

Chris Kotsopoulos, Chief Executive Officer at the Children’s Wish Foundation, added: “The annual Flight with Santa Claus is truly a magical day that brings incredible joy to children diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. It allows children and their families to create special holiday memories to cherish for years to come.”

During this event, Air Transat announced a donation of $80,000 to Children’s Wish, which represents the amounts collected over the past year as part of the carrier’s ‘Small Change, Big Hearts’ program and other initiatives. This is in addition to the over $6 million raised for Children’s Wish since the inception of the their partnership in 2004.

For more information follow the #SantaFlight hashtag on social media.