Finnair Organises 8 ‘Flights’ to Visit Santa in Rovaniemi, Lapland

(31 Oct 2021) Families will soon be able to fly with Finnair to see Santa in Lapland, thanks to the magic of virtual reality.

The Finnish airline will use VR to offer eight ‘flights’ from 25 December, transporting lucky families and children to visit Santa in his hometown of Rovaniemi.

The flights have been created by Finnish VR studio Zoan with one of the most advanced real-time 3D graphics tools, Unreal Engine.

Virtual customers will be able to enjoy a flight on their mobile phones or laptops where they will experience Finnair’s Nordic Business Class. The flights can also be experienced on a VR headset that can access a web browser and open a video.

Refreshments will be served by cabin crew as guests admire the starry skies and gaze upon the dramatic northern lights from their ‘seat’. The VR experience will also offer familiar flight soundscapes, festive decorations and perhaps even the glimpse of a familiar festive figure sitting in one of the other seats!

After landing in the wintry city of Rovaniemi, customers will be able to cross the Arctic Circle and enter Santa’s cabin to meet Santa Claus himself.

Each of the eight VR flights to Lapland lasts about thirty minutes and costs just €10 per person. Seats can be reserved from the Finnair Shop.

Sanna Kärkkäinen, CEO of Visit Rovaniemi, said, “The time could not be better for a holiday VR experience on the wings of Santa’s official airline. We’ve been developing our VR experience in Rovaniemi for over a year now and joining forces with Finnair is a fantastic way to reach a global audience with a seasonal message – and a heart full of hope.”

The VR flights are only available in English.

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