Finland’s first major cold snap of 2026 sharpened overnight into a full-scale operational crisis by the morning of 13 January. Helsinki-Vantaa logged 12 cancellations and 157 delays, while northern Kittilä Airport cancelled 14 sectors after temperatures plunged to –34.6 °C. Finnair alone recorded 125 delayed movements; alliance partner KLM trimmed its schedule and rerouted aircraft via Stockholm. (visahq.com)
Finavia redeployed additional snow-removal kits, but maintenance crews warned that de-icing rigs fail once hydraulic fluid waxes at –32 °C. Finnair advised passengers to use its mobile rebooking tools and predicted baggage back-logs lasting several days. Corporate travel managers reacted quickly, instructing staff to build 24-hour buffers and verify hotel availability near Helsinki or Rovaniemi. (visahq.com)
For travellers suddenly rerouted through unfamiliar hubs—or for companies trying to keep assignees compliant amid the chaos—VisaHQ’s Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) offers instant checks on transit-visa needs, passport validity rules, and Schengen extension options, plus streamlined same-day application services that can be managed entirely online.
![Deep Freeze Causes 26 Flight Cancellations and 161 Delays for Finnair and KLM]()
The Finnish Meteorological Institute expects the cold spell to linger through 15 January. Business-critical travellers are being urged to consider rerouting via Stockholm Arlanda or Copenhagen, where temperatures remain closer to seasonal norms. Firms with assignees in Lapland should note that VR rail lines and the E75 highway have also experienced weather-related closures. (visahq.com)
Mobility compliance teams are using the disruption as a stress-test: employees rerouted through non-Schengen hubs must verify transit-visa needs; US nationals on single-entry visas risk invalidating status on re-entry. Visa services platforms report a spike in same-day Schengen extensions and courier demands for urgent passport movements. (visahq.com)
In the longer term, Finnair and regional airports are lobbying the Ministry of Transport for accelerated infrastructure grants, arguing that climate change is making extreme cold snaps both rarer and harsher, which current equipment cannot handle. The episode will likely feed into the government’s forthcoming €200 million northern resilience package.
Finavia redeployed additional snow-removal kits, but maintenance crews warned that de-icing rigs fail once hydraulic fluid waxes at –32 °C. Finnair advised passengers to use its mobile rebooking tools and predicted baggage back-logs lasting several days. Corporate travel managers reacted quickly, instructing staff to build 24-hour buffers and verify hotel availability near Helsinki or Rovaniemi. (visahq.com)
For travellers suddenly rerouted through unfamiliar hubs—or for companies trying to keep assignees compliant amid the chaos—VisaHQ’s Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) offers instant checks on transit-visa needs, passport validity rules, and Schengen extension options, plus streamlined same-day application services that can be managed entirely online.
The Finnish Meteorological Institute expects the cold spell to linger through 15 January. Business-critical travellers are being urged to consider rerouting via Stockholm Arlanda or Copenhagen, where temperatures remain closer to seasonal norms. Firms with assignees in Lapland should note that VR rail lines and the E75 highway have also experienced weather-related closures. (visahq.com)
Mobility compliance teams are using the disruption as a stress-test: employees rerouted through non-Schengen hubs must verify transit-visa needs; US nationals on single-entry visas risk invalidating status on re-entry. Visa services platforms report a spike in same-day Schengen extensions and courier demands for urgent passport movements. (visahq.com)
In the longer term, Finnair and regional airports are lobbying the Ministry of Transport for accelerated infrastructure grants, arguing that climate change is making extreme cold snaps both rarer and harsher, which current equipment cannot handle. The episode will likely feed into the government’s forthcoming €200 million northern resilience package.
