Finavia reports Lapland airports achieve record numbers in 2023

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Finavia records record numbers at airports in Lapland in 2023

Airports in Finland's Arctic Lapland recorded record numbers in 2023, the country's airport authority has reported. In total, Finavia recorded around 1.5 million passengers at Lapland airports in 2023, an increase of 20 percent compared to the 1.2 million passengers in 2022.

The strong Lapland figures were due to a booming winter season. In November and December alone, 547,773 passengers passed through Rovaniemi, Kittilä, Ivalo, Kuusamo and Kemi-Tornio airports.

"In general, about half of the flights to Lapland are regular scheduled flights," said Petri, Finavia's route development director, in a statement this week. "This winter season, Lapland is connected with up to 20 direct flights to Europe. Regular scheduled flights are very important for the attractiveness of the region and serve not only the locals but also the business community."

Nationwide, the figures rose by 19 percent

This wave of seasonal travelers to Lapland contributed to a 19 percent increase in passenger numbers nationwide compared to 2022. A total of 18.3 million passengers traveled through Finavia's airports in 2023. Of these, 15.3 million were at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.

Eighty percent of all passengers from Finavia airports in 2023 were on international flights. Domestic flights accounted for the remaining 20 percent. Despite an increase, passenger numbers in 2023 have not yet reached the peak levels of 2019.

More on the passenger numbers at Finavia.

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