The U.S. Department of Transportation reported Thursday on Transport Secretary Mary Peters’ announcement that U.S. military airspace lanes will be open to St. Nick this Christmas Eve. “We know Santa Claus must adhere to a really tight schedule to get to every house on his list,” said Secretary Peters as she presented Santa his Christmas Eve flight certificate at Andrews Air Force Base (Peters is pictured signing the certificate). “Allowing him to use military airspace will ensure that crowded skies won’t mean empty stockings on Christmas morning. It just wouldn’t do to have the gridlock Grinch stealing Christmas.”