Finavia confirmed on Sunday morning, 28 December, that normal flight operations have resumed at Kittilä, Ivalo and Rovaniemi after Saturday’s weather-related shutdown. Kittilä reopened first at 20:00, followed by Ivalo at 21:00 and Rovaniemi at 22:40, once runway friction values rose above the regulatory minimum and snow-clearance teams completed final inspections.
By 09:09 local time on Sunday the airport operator reported that backlogs were being cleared and that airlines had scheduled 14 extra recovery flights to reposition aircraft and passengers. Ground handlers prioritised outbound ski-charter groups and inbound connections from London, Paris and Munich, markets that feed Lapland’s winter tourism economy. Finavia said passenger flow through security and immigration had stabilised by mid-morning.
For passengers whose rerouted journeys now include unexpected stopovers, confirming visa or transit-document requirements is critical. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) can instantly check entry rules for hundreds of jurisdictions and arrange expedited e-visas or transit authorisations, taking a layer of stress out of winter-weather disruptions.
![Flights resume as Finavia reopens Kittilä, Ivalo and Rovaniemi; minor restrictions lifted at Helsinki Airport]()
The storm’s tail-end brushed southern Finland overnight, producing gusts of 18–20 m/s at Helsinki Airport. Although departures during the low-traffic night window were limited, the airport imposed temporary “flow-control” measures, lengthening taxi times and spacing out arrivals. The restrictions were lifted before the first morning bank of intra-European flights, avoiding downstream disruption to long-haul connections to Asia and North America.
For corporate mobility planners the quick recovery offers reassurance that Finavia’s €15 million winter-operations upgrade—completed in November and including new high-capacity snow blowers and de-icing pads—has improved resilience. Nevertheless, airlines estimate that the storm will shave up to €4 million from their December revenue because of compensation claims under EU261, making robust weather-contingency clauses in corporate travel contracts more important than ever.
Finavia recommends that passengers travelling through Lapland over the New Year peak continue to monitor airline apps and allow extra time for check-in, as crews and aircraft remain slightly out of position. Travellers with tight same-day onward connections at Helsinki Airport are urged to consider overnighting in the capital until schedules fully normalise.
By 09:09 local time on Sunday the airport operator reported that backlogs were being cleared and that airlines had scheduled 14 extra recovery flights to reposition aircraft and passengers. Ground handlers prioritised outbound ski-charter groups and inbound connections from London, Paris and Munich, markets that feed Lapland’s winter tourism economy. Finavia said passenger flow through security and immigration had stabilised by mid-morning.
For passengers whose rerouted journeys now include unexpected stopovers, confirming visa or transit-document requirements is critical. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) can instantly check entry rules for hundreds of jurisdictions and arrange expedited e-visas or transit authorisations, taking a layer of stress out of winter-weather disruptions.
The storm’s tail-end brushed southern Finland overnight, producing gusts of 18–20 m/s at Helsinki Airport. Although departures during the low-traffic night window were limited, the airport imposed temporary “flow-control” measures, lengthening taxi times and spacing out arrivals. The restrictions were lifted before the first morning bank of intra-European flights, avoiding downstream disruption to long-haul connections to Asia and North America.
For corporate mobility planners the quick recovery offers reassurance that Finavia’s €15 million winter-operations upgrade—completed in November and including new high-capacity snow blowers and de-icing pads—has improved resilience. Nevertheless, airlines estimate that the storm will shave up to €4 million from their December revenue because of compensation claims under EU261, making robust weather-contingency clauses in corporate travel contracts more important than ever.
Finavia recommends that passengers travelling through Lapland over the New Year peak continue to monitor airline apps and allow extra time for check-in, as crews and aircraft remain slightly out of position. Travellers with tight same-day onward connections at Helsinki Airport are urged to consider overnighting in the capital until schedules fully normalise.
