Queens —

Rather than meet Santa at their local mall, 150 children from P.S. 197 visited him at his house at the North Pole, thanks to Delta Airlines’ annual “Holiday in the Hangar” event at Kennedy Airport. The airline created a simulated flight to transport the Queens students to a holiday party set up across the airport.

Disney star Ashley Tisdale helped St. Nick hand out presents and spread holiday cheer to the students, many of whom were left homeless after Superstorm Sandy ravaged their Far Rockaway neighborhood last year.

“We’re still getting there,” said P.S. 197 parent Donna Hamlet. “I think this Christmas, people are just more thankful. They understand that now we just can’t take things for granted.”