SANTA LANDS AT LAX AND VAN NUYS AIRPORT FOR ANNUAL HOLIDAY FESTIVITIES WITH LOCAL FAMILIES

Santa and his elf on board a cargo aircraft at LAX, provided by DHL

LOS ANGELES - Santa made a special appearance at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Van Nuys Airport (VNY) over the weekend for the annual "Santa Fly-In" hosted by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA). A cherished community tradition, the event attracted over 1,000 Angelenos at both airports for a day filled with fun festivities and holiday magic. LAWA also collected more than 800 unwrapped toys for its annual toy drive campaign benefitting the Westchester Family YMCA.

"The annual Santa Fly-In is a wonderful tradition that brings our community together and showcases the generosity of Angelenos," said Josh Francis, Director of Community Relations, Los Angeles World Airports. "We're proud to partner with our airlines, tenants and community to make this event possible, and to help brighten the holidays for families across the region."

Story time with Santa: Santa and friends read a Christmas classic to families at LAX

Santa traded his sleigh for a Cessna 182 and landed directly on the LAX and VNY airfields, warmly welcomed by children and families in attendance. At LAX, the crowd had the opportunity to view a Boeing 777 provided by American Airlines and a 767 cargo plane showcased by DHL, while attendees at VNY saw a Cirrus SR22 from Clipper Aviation, a Leonardo AW139 Helicopter from LAFD, the Air7 HD Helicopter from Helinet, and various aircraft from MPG. Guests at both airports were joined by airport therapy dogs from the LAX PUPs (Pets Unstressing Passengers) Program, and enjoyed plane ornament-decorating, a photo booth and story time with Santa.

Community members at VNY enjoy an up-close view of firefighting aircraft

"In a year that has been particularly challenging for our region, LAWA is thrilled to bring together so many members of our community to celebrate the season in a fun and meaningful way," said Jessica Yas Barker, Director of External Affairs, Van Nuys Airport . "Santa Fly-In is a highlight of the year for us, and we are grateful to be able to offer families a unique opportunity to experience the magic of the airport and the joy of the holidays."

This event builds on LAWA's Stuff-A-Bus toy drive which launched earlier this month. Airport team members, tenants, partners and community members contributed to these efforts.

Media assets can be viewed here . Please credit all photos as "Courtesy of Los Angeles World Airports."