North Pole, Alaska — ‘Twas the week earlier than Christmas and many was stirring on the Santa Claus House within the metropolis of North Pole, Alaska.
The iconic Christmas-themed retailer checked its checklist twice, realizing that it’s way more naughty than good if any of the presents it sends out arrive late to their locations across the globe.
“People are used to ready till the final minute to buy on-line, which presents a problem for us having to course of that order and ship it out from Alaska,” stated Paul Brown, supervisor of the Santa Claus House, which for many years has been sending hundreds of annual Santa letters to youngsters worldwide.
In North Pole, which is positioned about 13 miles southeast of Fairbanks, sweet canes double as road lights, and Christmas takes on particular which means for resident and FedEx driver Bill Soplu.
“Yeah, this can be a great time of the 12 months,” Soplu stated. “Everybody’s so comfortable proper now, so it makes our job so much simpler.”
The chilly climate would not diminish Souplou’s cheer.
“Just the opposite day it was 30 above, you realize, and you then get up the following morning, it is 30 beneath,” he stated.
Nor do the moose.
“We do not wish to fiddle with these guys,” he provides.
The presents Soplu is delivering come from an airfield 20 miles down a frozen street. There are just a few hours of daylight in Fairbanks throughout the winter months, and the temperature hovers round zero.
An common of three,000 packages a day come by means of Fairbanks throughout the vacation season. Capt. Joseph Erikson is a supply pilot for FedEx.
“I do know there is a good probability there is a particular current on that aircraft, and it is vital to get that to that household,” Erikson informed CBS News.
Before they attain Fairbanks, shipments from all over the world first come by means of a sprawling FedEx sorting middle at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport.
During the vacations, there are 33 supply planes a day which fly out and in of Anchorage carrying about 80,000 packages. The planes run across the clock so presents can span the globe in as little as 24 hours.
“We’ve been placing these plans in place for months so we are able to be sure we’re getting these packages to our prospects,” stated David Lewis, senior supervisor for floor operations for FedEx in Alaska.
