Rather than tire out his reindeer ahead of Christmas eve Santa boarded a plane from the North Pole with a few gifts as checked luggage.

The children, with Variety, were gathered in the arrivals lounge when the baggage conveyor shrilled into life.

Their little faces only moments earlier startled, quickly filled with joy as the gifts came into sight. And then awe, as Santa came in through the arrivals doors.

Five-year-old Spencer Clarke, of Thornton, was filled with joy as he unwrapped his kaleidoscope.

“This is his first real Christmas where he’s really known what it’s about,” his mother Terese Clarke said.

Born with Cerebral Palsy, his first Christmas was spent in the neonatal intensive care unit. 

“He’s said, ‘mum, I’m five now, can I have a bike like everyone else’? He can’t have a regular bike but maybe Santa will bring one.”

Before Santa arrived the children were shown through the airport including the baggage handling system, which unknown to them, would only minutes later carry Santa’s precious cargo.

The tour also went through the Jetstar maintenance hanger where Spencer had a very important question: “Do the planes have blasters?”

The answer came back: “Not these ones but those [pointing to the RAAF base] have guns and missiles”.

Variety’s head of regional development Jason Bourke said he was very grateful Newcastle Airport had chosen the charity as its Christmas partner in 2017.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for these families who do it tough at Christmas,” he said.

“It’s an experience these families wouldn’t otherwise get.”