Finnair
has added flights to Lapland during the Easter and autumn periods next year, as well as for a few special events happening in the region during the summer. The Finnish carrier—which prides itself on being the official airline of Santa Claus—also sees an uptick in demand for its Lapland network over the Easter period and during the peak autumn foliage season.
Finnair adds peak Lapland capacity next year
Finnair has added dozens of additional frequencies from Helsinki Airport (HEL) to its Lapland network at various points next year. The extra capacity will serve ski enthusiasts and nature lovers, as well as participants and spectators of special events going down in the summer. Having benefited from Lapland’s strong tourism appeal, Finnair is eager to establish the region as a year-round travel destination.
Photo: Finnair
Perttu Jolma, Finnair’s Vice President, Network Management, commented,
“The additional frequencies ensure smooth connections for our customers during high seasons and specific events and support our goal of increasing year-round travel to Lapland and Northern Finland.”
Easter
The airline will bolster its schedule to Kuusamo Airport (KAO) and Rovaniemi Airport (RVN) during the Easter period, which is the tail-end of the local ski season. It will operate:
- Six additional return flights to Kuusamo between April 1st and 23rd
- One extra flight to Rovaniemi on April 17th
Autumn
Over the autumn, visitors flock to the Lapland region to experience its famous autumn colors between August and October. As such, Finnair will up its schedule to Kuusamo, Kittilä Airport (KTT) and Ivalo Airport (IVL) during this period:
- Nine extra flights to Kuusamo between August 15th and October 10th
- Seven more flights to Kittilä from September 5th to 21st
- Four extra roundtrips to Ivalo between September 11th to 29th
These destinations are popular with travelers looking to experience the vibrant colors of autumn, when the region’s foliage transforms with brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red.
Summer
Finnair has also added capacity to cater to demand for a number of special events happening in the region during the summer. This includes the running event NUTS Karhunkierros hosted in May and the Solstice festival in June (both in Ruka), the World Orienteering Championships in Kuopio in July, and Kuninkuusravit, the country’s largest harness racing event which will be held in Oulu in August.
- Three extra flights to Kuusamo on May 22nd, June 18th and June 22nd
- One additional roundtrip to Kuopio on July 13th
- One extra flight to Oulu on August 1st
Lapland network
According to Cirium data, Finnair is by far the largest carrier to Lapland with over 40% of the market share this winter, even more so during other months. The vast majority of its flights are from its Helsinki base, alongside a daily flight from Tromso (TOS) to Rovaniemi. As for next Easter, data shows the carrier will operate up to 16 daily flights on peak days.
Photo: Sofia Andersin | Shutterstock
The next two largest airlines flying to the region this winter are easyJet and Tui Airways, followed by Ryanair and Norwegian. However, Finnair is the only airline providing year-round nonstop service to Lapland.
Related
How Does Finnair Serve Its Role As The Official Airline Of Santa Claus?
The airline has increased its flights between Helsinki and Rovaniemi in Lapland.
Finnair also revels in its role as the official carrier of Santa Claus, a position it has held for over four decades. Just a few weeks ago, the airline flew Santa from his Lapland village to London Heathrow Airport to kick off his world tour – on that occasion, Santa flew onboard one of Finnair’s Airbus A350s.
Photo: Wirestock Creators | Shutterstock
This week, Finnair took delivery of its 18th Airbus A350, the penultimate airframe of its order for 19 of the widebodies – the Finnish carrier holds the distinction of being the first European operator of the A350 and the third worldwide having taken delivery of its first plane in 2015.
