Russian airspace closures divert flights over southeastern Finland

Finnish air navigation services report a 3.8% increase in overflights this year due to periodic shutdowns of St. Petersburg’s airspace, according to public broadcaster Yle.

The number of aircraft transiting Finnish airspace in early 2024 has risen by 266 flights compared to the same period last year, data from Fintraffic shows. While the increase is not substantial, the agency has adjusted staffing in response to concentrated early-morning traffic over Imatra and Lappeenranta.

Raine Luojus, Fintraffic’s senior vice president for air navigation services, confirmed that flights normally routed over Estonia are now being redirected westward via Imatra when St. Petersburg’s airspace closes. These closures, linked to recent drone attacks in the region, have led to clusters of 20–30 additional daily overflights during affected periods.

Fintraffic receives advance notice of incoming diversions from Russian air traffic control 10–30 minutes before aircraft enter Finnish airspace—a lead time Luojus described as sufficient. To manage the uptick, the agency has temporarily reassigned staff to early-morning shifts but has not hired additional personnel.

Local residents have noted the change, with social media groups sharing images of multiple contrails visible in the sky above southeastern Finland.