SANTA Claus and his six reindeer landed his "Sleigh380" at Manchester Airport today to unload 500 presents, ahead of a big surprise for inbound passengers on Friday morning at terminal one.

On Friday, as passengers return from sunny climes including Dubai, Spain and Greece, they will be met by the airport’s winter wonderland and given the opportunity to select one of 500 mystery boxes, all overseen by Santa Claus himself.

While half the boxes contain a festive cupcake, the other half will contain golden tickets to a range of prizes including bikes, iPods and TVs.