Second scheduled direct flight from Central Europe to Kittilä in summer 2025 – Edelweiss opens route from Zurich

Press release 4.9.2024

In summer 2025, Edelweiss Air starts direct flights from Zurich to Kittilä offering travelers even better opportunities to explore summer in Lapland. Flights are operated every Saturday from June 14 to September 13, 2025.

The new flights by Edelweiss Air increase the number of weekly international summer flights to Kittilä to three. Discover Airlines also previously announced in August that it expands its services for the summer season with two weekly flights. The exception to this is May, when flights operate on a weekly basis. The new direct flights complement Finnair’s connections to Kittilä via Helsinki from from various global destinations.

Visit Levi and Visit Ylläs, in cooperation with Kittilä and Kolari municipalities, have worked actively to improve the accessibility of Kittilä Airport. As a result of the persistent efforts, the number of direct flights has grown.

The addition of a second direct flight for the summer season is great news for the entire Lapland region. Destinations in the Fell Lapland have invested in summer services for years, with Finnish summer vacationers as the main customer group. Given that May, June, and August have historically been quieter months, it is anticipated that these months will experience an increase in activity due to the new flights from Central Europe. Consequently, the transition of services from winter to summer will need to occur at a more accelerated pace.

“Our company has been building summer tourism services throughout the 21st century. We are in many ways ready to welcome international summer tourists, as we can now expect summer tourism to enter a clear growth phase,” says Levi Ski Resort’s CEO, Jouni Palosaari.

“It’s absolutely fantastic that we are getting more international visitors for the summer. The Swiss are an important customer group for us in winter, and we are already used to working with them, so we will surely find a common rhythm for the summer as well. They share the same values and appreciate high-quality services. Since there are only so many domestic customers, we need international customers for those months when Finns are not on holiday. Now we will truly become a year-round destination. A positive challenge in this changing situation is how we will manage our traditional holiday months of May and June in a new way,” says Jari Ahola, the principal owner and shopkeeper of the family-owned Äkäslompolo SportShop, which has operated in Äkäslompolo for 25 years.

Finnish Lapland aligns well with the interests of Swiss travelers.

“In Ylläs, the Swiss were the third largest international customer group in terms of overnight stays in 2023. Our area is perceived as very attractive in Switzerland, and the Swiss particularly appreciate our extensive network of trails between the fell centers,” says Visit Ylläs CEO, Kati Vehmas.

“At Levi, too, the number of Swiss tourists is growing. In 2023, the Swiss overnight stays increased by 74.4%,” says Visit Levi CEO, Satu Pesonen.

More info

Ms. Kati Vehmas
CEO, Visit Ylläs
kati@yllas.fi
+358 40 512 7203

Ms. Satu Pesonen
CEO, Visit Levi
satu.pesonen@visitlevi.fi
+358 40 820 9419