{"id":20436,"date":"2025-01-09T23:50:22","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T23:50:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/airline\/united-brings-a-767-full-of-kids-to-santas-workshop-airlinereporter\/"},"modified":"2025-01-09T23:50:22","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T23:50:22","slug":"united-brings-a-767-full-of-kids-to-santas-workshop-airlinereporter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=20436","title":{"rendered":"United Brings a 767 Full of Kids to Santa\u2019s Workshop : AirlineReporter"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The fine folks of the airline industry work extra hard this time of year so that the rest of us can enjoy the holidays. As if that weren\u2019t enough, some of them volunteer to help share seasonal spirit with people in need. As one example, United operates \u201cFantasy Flights\u201d that bring children experiencing significant medical issues or other hardships to visit Santa at the North Pole. <\/p>\n

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We were able to join this year\u2019s Fantasy Flight out of United\u2019s Newark hub. Between pre-flight festivities, caroling onboard a decked-out 767, and watching the children meet Santa, it was one of the most heartwarming aviation-related experiences we\u2019ve taken part in. <\/p>\n

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Read on for plenty of photos, videos, and a heavy dose of AvGeeky holiday cheer. Plus we\u2019ll clue you in on how our crew made a trip to the North Pole happen. <\/p>\n

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Kicking off a festive flight<\/h2>\n

This year\u2019s event was held on a crisp clear Saturday at Newark Liberty International Airport. <\/p>\n

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A small army of United employees had volunteered to make the day\u2019s adventures possible. The fun started with a holiday-themed check-in area. It was there that we started meeting the guests of honor: patients from New Jersey-area pediatric hospitals who were dealing with severe conditions like cancer.<\/p>\n

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After check-in was complete, the children and their families made their way to a departure gate that volunteers had decked out in holiday decor. <\/p>\n

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We got a look at the 767-300ER that would be playing the role of sleigh for the day. <\/p>\n

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The crew for the flight \u2014 again, all volunteers \u2014 had a quick photo moment before jumping into action preparing the flight for departure. <\/p>\n

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We were impressed to see that our captain would be John Weigand, the Managing Director of United\u2019s Newark station operations who also boasts 40 years of flying experience. He gave us a quick intro to the day\u2019s mission: <\/p>\n

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