Rovaniemi and Kittilä airports implement slot system for winter international flights
Rovaniemi and Kittilä airports have established schedules for managing peak days for international flights this winter. Both airports will introduce a slot system, allowing airlines to request times for their flights, with a coordinator creating schedules based on these requests. “The schedules are finalized and locked in. Overall, this improves the predictability of flight schedules and allows for optimal capacity utilization,” says Jonna Pietilä, regional director of Finavia Lapland.
According to Finavia, the busiest Christmas season for Lapland airports will last six weeks, with peak days occurring between December 10 and 15, when Rovaniemi airport will receive approximately 40 flights daily. Airlines are particularly targeting afternoon hours. Slots have been spread across more hours, extending to early evening. While airlines will receive flights on their preferred days, they may not have their desired time allocation, Pietilä explains.
The schedule coordinator has based plans on simultaneous passenger loads at the airport. During peak tourist seasons, the airport services, such as check-in, security, and baggage handling, will be strained. However, the runway in Lapland should not become congested. “The slot coordination determines the number of departing passengers each hour, optimizing terminal capacity,” Pietilä states. The busiest time is expected to be December 21 from 9 to 10 a.m., with over 800 passengers at Rovaniemi airport.
Despite thorough planning, traffic congestion cannot be entirely eliminated, as flight schedules are prone to changes. Foreign airlines were offered the option to use Kemi-Tornio airport instead of Rovaniemi if they preferred a different timetable, but no airline accepted this offer.
Finnair has made adjustments to its domestic flights due to the slot system. The company reports a 25% alteration to its flight schedules or aircraft types, while increasing flights to Lapland compared to the previous year. Rovaniemi is set to see a 35% increase in flight numbers, driven partially by smaller aircraft operations. Kittilä will experience a 25% increase in capacity, with a 20% rise for Ivalo.
International flights for the winter season commenced last weekend, with Ryanair launching routes from London, Dublin, Liverpool, and Milan to Rovaniemi. Finnair also operated flights from Tromsø, while other Lapland airports have yet to see any new international services. Winter charter flights to Lapland are not expected to begin until late November. This weekend, Rovaniemi will host eight international flights, with Ryanair adding Brussels and Liverpool to last weekend’s destinations.
Finavia will report flight and passenger numbers retroactively on a monthly basis, and preliminary indications suggest growth compared to last winter, which saw 1.3 million passengers through Lapland airports. Overall, 2022 recorded 1.5 million passengers, reflecting a 20% increase from the previous year.