In Finland, researcher Kähkönen predicts a significant rise in airfares — YLE News
In Finland, airfares to Lapland will gradually increase and could rise by tens of percent or more, researcher Juho Kähkönen believes. In his assessment, this could change the profile of tourists in the region, where most travelers arrive by plane. This was reported by YLE News.
The impact of EU rules
In his doctoral dissertation, Kähkönen examined how European Union climate change legislation affects air travel and tourism in Lapland. He named the gradual phaseout of free emissions allowances for aviation in 2024–2026 as one of the main factors behind rising flight costs. Airlines have to buy allowances, and the additional costs will ultimately be paid by consumers, the researcher believes.
Prices are also affected by the European emissions trading system and regulations aimed at increasing the use of sustainable aviation fuel. Such fuel is more expensive than the fossil fuel currently used. According to Kähkönen, its share of use is to increase from the current 2% to 70% by 2050.
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Trains will not replace all flights
According to Finavia, 1.1 million people arrived in Rovaniemi by plane last year. Visit Rovaniemi CEO Sanna Kärkkäinen noted that nearly 700,000 people already travel to the city by rail every year, although they include not only tourists but also students and local residents.
At the same time, Kähkönen believes that replacing air connections with trains or cars will be difficult, particularly for travelers from the British Isles. In his view, shorter winters and snow turning into slush pose a greater threat to Lapland's tourism business than EU regulations and more expensive flights. He noted that if he were an entrepreneur himself, he would invest in tourism services that do not depend on snow.
