British Airways Launches New Service to Lapland

British Airways has added Lapland to its list, and checked it twice, as it prepares to launch new flights to Santa Claus’s home region this winter.

Departing from London Gatwick, the new twice-weekly flights will launch on 3 December 2024 and fly customers to Ivalo, which is home to Finland’s most northerly airport.

Ivalo is a village on the Ivalo River in Lapland, located in the Arctic Circle. It welcomes visitors from all over the world, particularly during the winter months, to enjoy cold weather and Christmas activities. It is known as a gateway to Saariselkä, a resort village attracting those who enjoy winter sports from skiing and snowmobile safaris to toboggan rides and snowshoeing.

Those who’d like to hand deliver their Christmas lists to Saint Nick can meet him at the Northern Lights Village in Saariselkä, and Ivalo’s remote location also lends itself to spectacular views of the northern lights.

Flights will be operated by BA Euroflyer, British Airways’ short-haul subsidiary based at London Gatwick. Customers can take skiing or snowboarding equipment as part of their checked baggage so long as the bag is within 190 x 75 x 65cm.

Tom Stoddart, CEO of BA Euroflyer, said: “Our BA Euroflyer network continues to grow, and we are excited for a new addition to our winter schedule, alongside the likes of Innsbruck and Geneva. Lapland is synonymous with winter and Ivalo is blanketed in snow for a large part of the year, so customers can expect a white Christmas, with some red and blue sprinkled in from British Airways for good measure.”

Ivalo joins Tromsø in Norway, which was announced last week as a new route to join the winter schedule from London Heathrow this December.

Return flights are available now from £345 and will run twice a week until 14 February 2025.

In addition to Ivalo, BA Euroflyer has also launched new flights to Larnaca, Cyprus. Flights will operate daily for the winter season from 4 November 2024 as morning departures, returning in the late afternoon. This means that Larnaca will be served by both London Heathrow and London Gatwick for winter, offering customers a wider choice of departure airports for winter sun.

To book your flights, visit www.ba.com.