Nordic flight connections will soon be improved as Finnair is preparing to launch a new 'Arctic Express' service that will connect Helsinki with Rovaniemi and Tromsø. These new flights will be the only direct connection between Rovaniemi and Tromsø, allowing passengers to experience the hometown of Santa Claus and the gateway to the Northern Lights.

Putting Finnair in the 'Pole' position

For the first time ever, Finnair will be connecting Helsinki Airport (HEL) with Rovaniemi Airport and then onward to Tromsø Airport, although the flight number has yet to be confirmed. The new winter-seasonal routes will commence on December 2nd, with Finnair operating them twice a week every Thursday and Saturday with the airline's 68-seater ATR 72.

Besides enhancing services within the Arctic, this new route will put the flag carrier in the 'Pole' position for flight services to Finnish and Norwegian Lapland - as the airline currently offers flights to 14 destinations within Finland and five in Norway. The flight schedules are as follows, where all times are local:

Celebrating Finnair's offering of two Arctic gems in one trip was the airline's Senior Vice President in Network and Revenue Management, Antti Tolvanen, as he highlighted:

"The Arctic nature and high-quality travel experiences appeal to travelers from various parts of the world, such as Asia and Central Europe. With this new connection, visitors to the Arctic region can conveniently combine both Lapland and Northern Norway in one trip."

Photo: Karolis Kavolelis | Shutterstock

International passengers join in the Arctic fun

While the new route sounds more like an adventure benefitting domestic flights, international passengers will also benefit from these direct connections because Finnair will offer up to 10 daily direct flights from Helsinki to Rovaniemi this winter. These will be in addition to a daily service to Tromsø.

All services have been precisely timed to allow for more accessible connections from London Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh, and the Irish capital, Dublin. The oneworld alliance member also emphasizes on offering smooth and easy transfers between flights from as little as 35 minutes, thanks to all flights operating from the same terminal at Helsinki Airport.

Given the variety of choices concerning flights and different schedules, international passengers can conveniently fly into Helsinki and add stopovers in the two Arctic cities - a simple mix-and-match of the many flight services to better suit their travel itineraries before returning home via Helsinki.

Photo: Renatas Repcinskas | Shutterstock

Bottom line

From being offered a chance to see Santa Claus, to witnessing the Northern Lights, the new 'Arctic Express' is exciting for those adventuring enthusiasts. However, some passengers have been asking for more summer and sunny destinations besides what Finnair offers.

The request comes despite the airline's significant summer 2024 network expansion with new flight services to Wroclaw, Poland, and so on. But perhaps additional summer destinations will be added near the season, as is usually the case with airlines, albeit only time will tell.

What do you think about Finnair's expanding winter schedule? Let us know in the comments.