easyJet pilots and crew will be flying children’s letters directly to Santa in Lapland this Christmas, as part of a new Europe-wide festive service.

With around 200,000 families set to fly with easyJet during the festive season, the airline is installing special post boxes at its major airports across the UK and Europe this December.

The service has been launched after new research revealed nearly three-quarters (71%) of children flying around the holidays this Christmas are worried that Santa won’t be able to find them.

According to research by the airline of 2,000 British parents and their children, over half (52%) of kids worry Santa won’t find them if they are spending Christmas with relatives or friends, while nine in ten (91%) parents surveyed say their biggest fear is forgetting to pack their children’s Christmas stocking.

From today, young travellers passing through London Gatwick, London Luton, Bristol and Manchester airports will have the opportunity to drop off their letters via easyJet’s unmistakable special orange post boxes in the airport terminal ahead of the big day.

The airline is also providing a special letter collection service to local schools near its UK airports which will see easyJet’s cabin crew bringing their famous warm welcome to collect letters to take directly to Santa.

The letters will be delivered on easyJet flights from across the UK and Europe directly to Rovaniemi in Lapland, the home of Santa Claus. easyJet pilots and cabin crew will then hand deliver them to Santa ensuring a magical way for children to have their wishes arrive safely regardless of where they’ll be this Christmas.

The research also revealed the lengths parents will go to, to ensure a magical Christmas wherever they are spending it. Nine in 10 (93%) parents say they have packed treats for Santa to take on holiday, including carrots, cookies and Scotch.

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Half of Brits going away this Christmas (51%) will be visiting friends and family, with most (38%) of respondents saying that somewhere wintery and festive would be their ideal Christmas holiday destination, while a further 18% prefer a hot and sunny escape and 10% love a city break.

Nearly all Brits (98%) travelling abroad will make an effort to find events and festive activities to ensure their children feel the magic of the festive season.

Over 97% will still try to undertake Christmas traditions, with nearly half (48%) visiting a Christmas market and the same figure says they plan on eating a traditional Christmas dinner. Of those surveyed, 89% will make sure they have brought their Advent Calendar with them ahead of the big day.

The festive study also revealed some surprising requests parents have seen in their letters to Santa.

The surprising requests children make in their letters to Santa, according to British parents:  

• Banning broccoli
• A device that translates meows from cats
• A pet whale
• A lifetime supply of chocolate
• Asking for a new planet
• A never-ending supply of cake
• Wanting Father Christmas to steal the sprouts from Christmas dinner
• Real ladders and pet snakes to play real-life ‘snakes and ladders’ game
• A flying unicorn
• No more homework

easyJet Pilot Hannah Wells, who is set to deliver letters from the UK to Lapland later this month said, 

“Christmas is a magical time for families and travelling somewhere festive, for some winter sun, or to see friends and family can make it special. We hope our Letters to Santa postal service will bring some extra magic to the thousands of families travelling with us around the holidays and to schools in our local airport communities, where our fantastic cabin crew will be making sure that even more wishes are hand-delivered to Santa in time for Christmas.”

easyJet’s Letters to Santa post boxes can also be found at Paris Charles de Gaulle, Naples, and Milan airports throughout December.  

easyJet is set to operate its biggest-ever schedule from the UK to Lapland this year, with services to Rovaniemi up to four times a week from Bristol, London Gatwick, London Luton, Edinburgh, Manchester and to Kittila up to two times a week from London Gatwick and Manchester.