Extreme cold has severely disrupted operations at Kittilä Airport in northern Finland, where temperatures have plunged to –40°C, forcing mass flight cancellations during the peak winter tourism season.

Large-scale disruptions began on Friday, January 9, when worsening weather conditions led to widespread cancellations. Air traffic was completely halted over the weekend, and since January 9 more than 40 outbound flights alone have been cancelled.

On Monday, January 12, the airport continued to operate under restrictions. Flights to Ivalo and Helsinki were cancelled as extreme temperatures continued to affect aircraft handling and ground operations.

According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute, temperatures across Lapland again dropped to –40°C on January 12. Severe cold warnings remain in effect not only for the Kittilä area but also for other parts of Lapland.

The extreme weather has disrupted the travel plans of thousands of passengers at a time when Lapland is experiencing its busiest winter tourist period. While no official figures have been released on the number of foreign tourists stranded in Kittilä, the local tourism body Visit Levi estimates that several thousand visitors have been affected.