Brussels Airlines announced on 17 August that it will launch direct scheduled flights from Brussels to Kemi for the 2026–2027 winter season. The new direct connection between Brussels and Kemi is an important step in strengthening Kemi’s international accessibility and making Arctic experiences more accessible to travellers from across Europe.
Flights to Kemi will operate twice a week from 25 December 2026 to 10 March 2027.
According to Brussels Airlines, the new routes respond to growing interest in Arctic winter travel. For The Icebreaking Company and Kemi, the new flights open a new gateway between Europe and the Arctic.
Welcome to Kemi – where the Arctic experience begins immediately
For travellers arriving in Kemi, there is no need to travel further to find the Arctic. It is already here.
At Kemi Harbour, visitors can step aboard the icebreakers Sampo and Arktis and experience the Arctic in a way that cannot be experienced anywhere else.
The experience means cruising aboard a real icebreaker and witnessing the vessel in action, as well as floating safely in the icy sea under professional guidance and wearing a specially designed flotating suit. It is also about experiencing the winter landscape of the Bothnian Bay, the ice, the sea and the silence combined with the unique warmth of Finnish Arctic hospitality.
Your Arctic journey can now begin directly from Brussels.
Connecting travellers with an authentic Arctic experience
Our operations combine real icebreaker operations, Arctic travel, destination experiences and hospitality, supported by our international sales and distribution network.
Since 1987, we have delivered more than one million customer experiences. Today, approximately 95% of our customers are international, arriving from more than 80 countries through a network of more than 130 active international resellers.
The new Brussels–Kemi connection creates an exciting opportunity to bring this international customer base even more strongly to Kemi and the wider Arctic region.
For international travel partners, improved accessibility also makes it easier to include Kemi in multi-day Arctic itineraries and combine it with other destinations, activities and experiences across Finnish Lapland.
Growing European interest in Arctic travel
Brussels Airlines’ decision reflects a broader shift in European travel demand. The new northern routes are part of Brussels Airlines’ ambition to strengthen its leisure travel offering during the winter season.
From an Arctic tourism perspective, stronger scheduled air connections are significant. They give travellers greater flexibility, make independent travel easier and create new opportunities for destinations and experience providers to reach international audiences.
From Brussels to the ice
The new Brussels–Kemi connection brings the Arctic closer to travellers from Belgium and across Europe.
At The Icebreaking Company, we create opportunities for more people to discover places, experiences and stories they might otherwise never encounter.
Welcome to Kemi, Brussels Airlines.