In brief
Kittila airport in Lapland has grounded flights amid an unprecedented cold spell, leaving thousands of winter travelers unable to return home. With temperatures plummeting below -35C and forecasted lows of -39C, both flight departures and local transportation have been severely affected. While slippery conditions complicate the situation further, road safety remains a concern with reports of accidents. The cold snap coincides with broader travel disruptions caused by winter storms across Europe.
Thousands of tourists have been stranded in Finland's Lapland as a severe cold spell has grounded flights out of one of its airports.
Departures from Lapland's Kittila airport that would have ferried winter travelers back to places like London, Bristol, Manchester, Paris, and Amsterdam were all canceled on Sunday as temperatures did not go above -35C on Sunday.
The issue is expected to continue on Monday as a low of -39C is forecast by Finland's meteorological agency. The first flight out of Kittila has already been canceled.
The extreme cold makes it hard to de-ice planes, while maintenance and refueling equipment on the ground can freeze.
Airport operator Finavia told public broadcaster Yle that moisture in the air was making the situation worse as it was creating slippery frost.
While Lapland - which spans northern Norway, Sweden and Finland - is known for the cold and snow, Finnish Lapland usually has a winter average temperature of -14C, with occasional dips to -30C, according to the nation's tourism board.
Kittila airport predominantly serves people wishing to travel to nearby ski resorts and to see the Northern Lights, while Rovaniemi airport further south is the official destination for visitors to Santa Claus's folkloric home.
On Monday, the first local flight set to arrive in Kittila was cancelled, with international flights delayed.
The cold weather has also made the roads particularly hazardous, with Fintraffic warning of icy conditions in the region.
A bus full of Ukrainian passengers drove into a ditch on Sunday morning, Yle reported, citing local police. It said no serious injuries were reported.
The unusual cold in Lapland comes as a storm passing over northern Europe has brought wintry conditions and travel disruption to the UK, France, and Germany.
A man was killed after a tree fell on his caravan in England, while around 100,000 homes were without power in France on Saturday.
