How Finnair will be spreading Christmas joy in 2025 as the official airline of Santa Claus
December 21, 2025
Everyone knows that Finland’s Lapland region is the home of Santa Claus. However, it is slightly less well-known that national carrier Finnair declares itself as the official airline of Santa Claus.
It is also widely known by most in the aviation industry that Santa Claus’s circumnavigation of the planet on Christmas Eve is the most important aviation-related event of the year.
With that in mind, and the holidays almost upon us, Aerospace Global News take a look at the carrier’s role as the official airline of Santa Claus and how it fulfils its Christmas responsibilities throughout the entire festive season.
Finnair – the official airline of Santa Claus
Finnair’s relationship with Santa Claus dates back to 1983, when the airline began operating transpolar flights using McDonnell Douglas DC-10s between Helsinki-Vantaa Airport (HEL) and Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) in Japan.
Since then, the carrier has developed a special relationship with Santa Claus, while Santa himself remains Finland’s most recognised symbol internationally.
His home, along with the main post office for Santa Claus, is located in Rovaniemi, in the far north of Finland and well within the boundaries of the Arctic Circle. The facility receives over 500,000 letters annually from approximately 200 countries.
Each year, Finnair celebrates the coming of Christmas with special events, on-board offerings and unique aircraft liveries commemorating the man himself.
Year-on-year, the airline develops the relationship in new ways, and Christmas 2025 will be no different in that regard, with festive onboard treats and other surprises.
Together, says the airline, Finnair and Santa Claus “unveil Finland’s mesmerising beauty and sow seeds of joy and wonder, touching the hearts of countless children and even those adults who still embrace the magic of Christmas.”
Finnair and the Santa Claus Foundation
At the heart of Finnair’s partnership with Santa Claus is the airline’s charity work with the Santa Claus Foundation, a charitable organisation whose mission is to promote the well-being of children worldwide.
With the help of the national carrier, the charity operates a series of flights on which Santa himself flies to far-flung destinations to spread good cheer and personally greet children from around the world face-to-face.
This year, Santa’s adventures will take him to global destinations such as London, Manchester, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Seoul, where he will make special visits and distribute gifts to local schools and hospitals.
As the Foundation says, “he leaves behind a trail of smiles and a sprinkle of Christmas spirit wherever he treads.”
In Asia, particularly, Santa’s visits have generated remarkable enthusiasm over the years. People of all ages queue for the opportunity to meet the authentic Finnish Santa Claus straight from Finnish Lapland.
“The excitement is palpable when Santa arrives. People of all ages want to capture the moment with the authentic Finnish Santa Claus, recognised by his long white beard and warm, approachable presence,” shared Jari Ahjoharju from the Santa Claus Foundation.
“For us, it is crucial to remind the world that Santa hails from the enchanting land of Finland and that spreading that message is a cherished part of our mission. Equally significant is the charity work we undertake with children,” Ahjoharju added.
Together with Finnair, the Santa Claus Foundation has worked to develop a global image of Finland as the home of Santa Claus.
According to a Finnair statement, “When Santa boards a Finnair aircraft, he is not merely a passenger; he is an ambassador carrying Finnish Christmas tradition, hope, and joy. And we are proud to be part of this magic, year after year, for over four decades.
Finnair operations over Christmas 2025
Like an increasing number of airlines, Finnair operates through the holiday season, including Christmas Day itself. An increasing number of passengers see 25 December as the ideal date to get away, with airports less crowded and flights leaving on time due to lower airspace congestion.
According to data obtained from Cirium, this year Finnair will be operating a significant flight program on Christmas Day, with numerous short, medium, and long-haul flights departing from Helsinki.
Services are scheduled to leave the Finnish Capital and head to long-haul destinations such as Bangkok, Delhi, Dallas-Fort Worth, Doha, Dubai, Hong Kong, Phuket, Tokyo, Seoul and Los Angeles.
This is in addition to numerous flights operating to other European cities as well as to those further afield.
“Like Santa Claus and his elves, many of our employees work throughout the holiday season,” says Finnair. “During the Christmas week, you can see our cabin crew and airport customer service personnel at Helsinki Airport wear Christmas hats to enhance the joyful spirit of Christmas.”
With a full festive flying programme in place, all of Finnair’s long-haul passengers are offered the choice from a special holiday menu during the holiday season.
Additionally, during Christmas week, the airline will be serving traditional Finnish treats including Christmas porridge, gingerbread cookies and Christmas pastries.
Additionally, all passengers on Finnair flights over the holidays will be offered a glass of Finnair’s signature blueberry juice drink, made exclusively from European wild blueberries.
While on board, passengers can get into the holiday spirit by enjoying Finnair’s in-flight entertainment system, which will feature classic seasonal movies.
The airline says it will also be playing a pre-recorded public announcement from Santa himself on board, and the boarding music will be changed specially for the holiday season.
Meanwhile, the airline’s lounges at Helsinki Airport will have special Christmas decorations from 29 November 2025 to 6 January 2026.
Lounge customers can also enjoy a special Christmas menu and traditional Finnish festive wine glögg, and Christmas music will play in the background for the last two weeks of December.
Avgeeks are not left out of the festivities
Yet, it will not just be passengers who will benefit from Finnair’s relationship with Santa Claus and Christmas. Following the long tradition of the airline decorating some of its aircraft with special Santa-themed liveries, Christmas 2025 will be no exception.
Planespotters worldwide might get a glimpse of one of the airline’s three special Christmas aircraft. Airbus A320s, registered OH-LXM and OH-LXB, will have ‘Santa Claus’ official airline’ stickers applied to the side of their fuselages, while one of the carrier’s widebody A350s (with registration OH-LWA) will feature a festive Santa-themed livery.
Christmas in July at LAX! 🎅 Finnair’s Airbus A350-900 sporting the Santa Claus Finland livery arrives from Helsinki, touching down on runway 24R during Tuesday’s Airline Videos Live broadcast. pic.twitter.com/A5EXhl1bVy
— AIRLINE VIDEOS (@airlinevideos) July 9, 2025
“Sometimes on longer journeys, Santa lets his reindeer rest and hops on board a Finnair flight, but mostly Rudolf leads the way,” states the airline.
“As Christmas approaches, Santa’s sleigh switches off the GPS and is guided by Rudolf, the lead reindeer, and the northern lights. The Finnish Nature assists in bringing Santa and his reindeer home.”
Visiting Santa Claus in Lapland via Finnair
Korvatunturi Fell in Lapland is the traditional home of Santa Claus himself, along with his elves and his workshop. The nearest airport served by Finnair for passengers to access Lapland and its natural phenomena is Rovaniemi (RVN).
Finnair flies daily between Helsinki and Rovaniemi using a variety of aircraft, including ATR72s of regional subsidiary NORRA. Indeed, even on Christmas Day, the airline will fly the route seven times in each direction using either 174-seat Airbus A320s or 209-seat A321s. The 433-mile (693km) route takes around 70 minutes to complete.
Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland, offers plenty of interesting cultural experiences. Due to its compact size, Rovaniemi’s most essential services and attractions can be found within walking distance of each other.
While walking through the streets of the city centre, visitors often do not realise that the town plan is that of a reindeer. The unique town plan is the design of Alvar Aalto, one of Finland’s most famous architects.
However, located only about five miles (8km) to the north of Rovaniemi city centre and the airport, visitors can find the official Santa Claus village where the man himself receives guests from all over the world every day of the year.
Santa Claus Village is located right on the border of the Arctic Circle. The boundary line is clearly marked on the ground, and visitors can take a picture of themselves crossing the magical Arctic Circle.
Lapland is about more than just Santa and Christmas
Away from the obvious festive links, the Rovaniemi area offers some of the best hiking trails in the Arctic Circle, where the spectacular Raudanjoki rapids known as Vaattunkiköngäs and Vikaköngäs await visitors.
According to Finnair, the hiking area’s routes are versatile, from the easy-to-pass 0.2-kilometre Kielosaari Trail to demanding routes that lead to the nearby summits. For example, the six-mile (10km) long Könkäiden polku Trail, takes visitors to various arctic landscapes.
In addition to solo adventures, visitors can partake in a variety of Lapland guided tours, including Northern Lights tours, where guides lead travellers to special places to see the magical aurora borealis.
Other attractive activities include husky tours through a fairytale-like forest, a visit to a reindeer farm and reindeer sleigh rides, snowmobile safaris through eye-catching snowscapes, as well as nature treks through of the most remote and peaceful landscapes on Earth.
Finnair embraces Christmas like no other airline
You would expect an airline that shares a homeland with Santa Claus to embrace the Christmas spirit.
Yet, while Finnair does that, it goes to great lengths to demonstrate that the spirit of the festive season is woven into its very heart and manifests itself in a variety of ways over the holiday season.
Special liveried aircraft, charitable Santa flights, festive onboard announcements and Yuletide menu offerings may just be the tangible side of the airline’s celebrations, but the lengths that Finnair goes to each year to mark the Christmas period go far beyond a subtle nod to the season – it is a true mark for just how this time of year defines the very DNA of the carrier.
As Finnair itself puts it, “It is not just about Santa’s unmistakable charm and charisma; it’s about something much deeper.”
“As the world unites in the enchanting aura of Christmas, Finnair’s timeless partnership with Santa Claus reminds us all that the true magic of the season is in giving, spreading joy and ensuring that every child, no matter where they are in the world, experiences the warmth and wonder of this extraordinary time of year.”
Featured image: Markus Mainka / stock.adobe.com
