Deep freeze brings Finnish Lapland to a standstill, stranding tourists

Thousands of foreign tourists remain stranded in Finnish Lapland after unusually severe cold forced more flight cancellations at Kittilä Airport on Monday. Over the weekend, temperatures sank well below –35°C, grounding all departing flights from Kittilä, one of the region’s major winter gateways.

A Finnair spokesperson told Yle that flights were cancelled because conditions were considered too severe for safe de-icing, refuelling and ground control. High humidity has also worsened the situation, according to Finnish airport operator Finavia , by creating slippery frost on aircraft and equipment, which further complicates operations

Some foreign tourists interviewed by Yle described the situation as “nightmarish,” citing repeated cancellations, sometimes after passengers had already arrived at the airport, and difficulty finding new accommodation, with hotels already full during the peak winter tourism season.

“Kittilä is mainly serving international winter visitors, traveling to Lapland to catch sight of the northern lights, or for skiing, snowmobile safaris, or dog-sledding excursions,” says Liisa Ansala, CEO of the Lapland Chamber of Commerce.  “At this time of year, the area is operating at close to full capacity, which limits options when flights are disrupted.”

Arctic Today journalist Soraya Lahlou, who runs a dogsledding business with her husband in the village of Partakko near Lake Inari, said temperatures in the area have stayed between –35°C and –40°C for the past 10 days.

“The huskies can tolerate these cold temperatures, but they are asking to come inside more often,” Lahlou says. “They look up at us with their frosty faces and beg with their eyes, and they sleep much more deeply after being out in the extreme cold.”

The dogsledding operations are currently grounded. Other husky farms in the area are also cancelling their tours. “People don’t always realise how cold it is,” Lahlou said. “One family came with two children just to meet the dogs, but had to leave when their eight year old couldn’t stop crying from the biting cold.”

Official Meteorological Aerodrome Reports (METAR) on Monday showed very cold conditions at Kittilä Airport with overcast clouds. Temperatures are hovering at around –36°C, with wind chill making it closer to –40°C at times. Airlines say they are monitoring conditions closely. If temperatures rise above extreme lows, ideally well above –34 °C and moisture decreases, carriers may be able to resume de-icing and flight operations.

On a positive note, Ansala said, “Weather conditions in Lapland can change quickly, and there is hope that improving temperatures will soon allow flights to restart.”