Rovaniemi Airport is the second busiest airport in Finland after Helsinki-Vantaa, as measured by the number of passengers and landings. It is located in Rovaniemi, Finland, about 10 km north of Rovaniemi city centre. The Arctic Circle crosses the runway closer to its northern end.

History

The airport was built in 1940 with two grass-surfaced runways. During the Continuation War, it served as an airbase and supply center for German Luftwaffe.

Facilities

In 2017, the airport served about 580,000 passengers. The main season of charter traffic from Great Britain and many other European countries lasts from the end of November until the middle of January annually. Many of these flights (especially from Great Britain) are day trip flights, with daytrippers (mostly families with young children) arriving in the morning and going home in the evening on the same day. Russians arrive in January because they celebrate Christmas later. In addition to civil traffic the runway is also used by F-18 fighter interceptors of Lapin lennosto (Lapland Air Command). The Rovaniemen vartiolentue (Air unit of the Frontier guard of Lapland) is also located nearby. General aviation operators and private pilot owners are served by the provision of a dedicated fully enclosed and heated hangar with a curved snow-shedding roof located near to the terminal complex. Rovaniemi Airport is one of three airports in Finland that has jet bridges (the other two being Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and Oulu Airport). The airport is managed by Finavia. It is connected to the Rovaniemi city centre by an airport taxi and there are also multiple bus connections around Lapland, including to major winter sports centers. Rovaniemi Airport is the second-busiest airport in Finland after Helsinki airport. Santa Claus Village and Santa Park are situated within 2 - 3 km. The airport is located approximately 8 - 9 km away from Rovaniemi City centre, meaning that it is not far away from many restaurants and hotels. The busiest time for the airport is in the Christmas season, when many people go on Santa Flights.

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Rovaniemi Airport:

Statistics