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Latvian airline AirBaltic is launching new direct flights from five European cities to Kuusamo in Finnish Lapland, starting from December this year, as part of its 2026-2027 winter schedule expansion.
This will include flights from London, Manchester, Berlin, Hamburg and the airline’s home base of Riga.
“Ruka-Kuusamo is a growing winter destination that offers excellent skiing opportunities and a unique northern natural environment,” Mantas Vrubliauskas, vice president of Network Development at AirBaltic, noted, as reported by Finavia.
“Together with our existing route to Kittilä, these new additions provide our customers in Finland, Latvia, Germany and the United Kingdom with even more options for planning their winter holidays.”
Flights from Manchester and London Gatwick will operate on Sundays from 13 December 2026 to 28 March 2027. These will use an Airbus A220-300 aircraft and will be able to carry up to 148 passengers per flight.
One aircraft will also be stationed overnight at Kuusamo Airport, for the busy winter rush, allowing the airline to provide several direct connections between the Lapland destination and other European cities. Additional weekend services will also be available.
Direct flights from Düsseldorf, Zurich and Frankfurt to Kuusamo are already available as well.
Elsewhere, AirBaltic is launching new routes to Poznan, Warsaw and Katowice from Gran Canaria, along with services to Liège, Palanga and Ljubljana from Tenerife.
The rise of Ruka-Kuusamo
AirBaltic’s route expansion highlights the growing popularity of Finland’s Ruka-Kuusaamo region as a prime winter destination.
The region was named the Outdoor Destination of the Year 2025 at the Scandinavian Outdoor Award Travel, which was presented at ITB Berlin last March.
The expanded flight routes will enable around 11,840 foreign tourists to visit the region.
Apart from spectacular skiing landscapes, Ruka-Kuusaamo has three national parks, with plenty of snowshoeing, walking and ice fishing opportunities in winter and canoeing, bear watching, hiking and white-water rafting in summer.
The region is also a prime location to see Northern Lights from. Travellers can learn more about local reindeer herding as well or head to a music or light festival.
Looking for something more relaxing? Try a traditional Finnish sauna.
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