Thousands of tourists have been stranded in Lapland, Finland, after a severe cold wave forced the cancellation of flights from one of its airports, BBC reports via Gazeta Express.
Departures from Kittilä Airport—which were supposed to transport winter travelers back to cities like London, Bristol, Manchester, Paris, and Amsterdam—were all canceled on Sunday as temperatures did not rise above -35°C.
The disruption is expected to continue on Monday, with the Finnish Meteorological Institute forecasting lows of -39°C. The first flight from Kittilä has already been canceled.
The extreme cold complicates aircraft de-icing, while ground maintenance and fueling equipment can freeze. Finavia, the airport operator, told the public broadcaster Yle that high humidity worsened the situation by creating slippery ice.
While Lapland—which stretches across northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland—is known for its snow and cold, Finnish Lapland typically averages -14°C in winter, occasionally dropping to -30°C, according to the country’s tourism board.
Kittilä Airport primarily serves visitors heading to nearby ski resorts and to see the Northern Lights, while Rovaniemi Airport, further south, is the official destination for travelers visiting Santa Claus’s folklore home.
