Thousands of travellers were stranded in northern Finland last week after flights at Kittilä Airport were cancelled due to extreme cold and icy conditions.
Temperatures dropped to around minus 37 degrees Celsius, and while Finland is generally well equipped to handle harsh winter weather, ice buildup on aircraft created serious safety risks. According to airport operator Finavia, de-icing became impossible at times as both aircraft and ground equipment froze in the prolonged cold.
Finnish airports normally maintain intensive winter operations. Even facilities north of the Arctic Circle rarely close, and at Helsinki Airport snow removal and runway maintenance are carried out within minutes. At Kittilä, however, the combination of extreme cold and moisture pushed systems beyond capacity, forcing airlines to cancel flights over several days.
The disruption highlights how de-icing — rather than snow clearance — can become the critical bottleneck during extreme winter conditions, even in countries accustomed to severe cold.
Source: IndexBox
