Finland’s Kittila Airport Faces Storm‑Battered Chaos
In a rough weekend at the northernmost part of Finland, a commercial jet and a smaller aircraft both ran off the runway at Kittila Airport as a severe storm rolled in. The incidents were triggered by heavy winds and deep, wet snow that made the strip treacherous.
The larger aircraft, carrying roughly 150 passengers, slid off the runway while landing amid the gale. It came to a halt in a patch of snow, and authorities confirmed that no one was hurt. The planes’ arrival from Geneva was noted, though the airline was not disclosed.
A separate mishap involved a small plane with ten people aboard that struck a snowbank at the same airport later that afternoon. Again, everyone survived with nothing more than a scare.
Finavia, the company that runs Finland’s airports, said the recovery work on the stranded jet added delays for other flights. The adverse weather also threw a wrench into operations at nearby Rovaniemi and Ivalo airports, which are key hubs for holiday travel in Lapland.
Air traffic restrictions were in effect from 4 p.m. Saturday at Ivalo, Kittila, and Rovaniemi because of the storm’s intensity. While flight services were restored later in the evening at Ivalo and Kittila, Rovaniemi had to pause operations entirely. Finavia kept crews monitoring the weather conditions and wind speeds in close coordination with air traffic control to decide when it was safe to resume flights.
The Finnish Meteorological Institute reported that a low‑pressure system named Storm Hannes was pushing southward across the region, driving strong north‑northwest winds. The storm was slated to reach its peak intensity late that evening before easing as it progressed.
The incident underscores how harsh winter weather can abruptly halt air traffic in Finland’s popular holiday destinations.
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