A new ‘Arctic Express’ service connecting Helsinki, Rovaniemi and Tromso is being launched by Finnair.

The new winter season Nordic route will be the only direct connection between Rovaniemi, the hometown of Santa Claus, and Tromso, the gateway to the Northern Lights.

Flights will operate twice a week from December 2, with the service  providing a connection to Finnish and Norwegian Lapland.

The airline is to deploy 68-seat ATR aircraft on the route with departures from the Finnish capital on Thursdays and Saturdays.

International passengers will be able to fly into Helsinki and add stop-overs in Rovaniemi and Tromso before returning home via Helsinki.

Finnair currently offers flights to 14 destinations within Finland and five in Norway.

The airline will also offer up to 10 daily direct flights from Helsinki to Rovaniemi this winter in addition to a daily service to Tromso.

The services have been specifically timed to allow for connections from Heathrow, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin.

Network and revenue management senior vice president Antti Tolvanen said: “The Arctic nature and high-quality travel experiences appeal to travellers from various parts of the world, such as Asia and Central Europe.

“With this new connection, visitors to the Arctic region can conveniently combine both Lapland and northern Norway in one trip.”