Flight from a North East airport to the 'most Christmassy location in the world' have begun in style, as people jet away for the festive period. 

Routes from Newcastle Airport began on Friday (December 1) to Lapland for the 2023 season, with TUI flight attendants dressing up in the festive spirit to welcome customers onboard.  

It’s TUI’s largest-ever Lapland program, with 37,000 Brits making their way from nine regional airports on 169 flights to the winter wonderland.

The Northern Echo: Flight crew with Christmas jumpers and Santa hatsFlight crew with Christmas jumpers and Santa hats (Image: TUI)

More than 200,000 reindeer, 1,000 sleighs and 350 snowmobiles and the Big Man himself will be greeting customers when they start to arrive from the UK.

This season, 5,000 Brits will descend on Lapland for day trips to experience a festive packed itinerary starting with a visit to Kittilas Snow Village, which is home to an ice hotel, followed by sleigh and snowmobile rides, and a taste of tradition with a Lapland local telling old-aged stories and legends about the Lappish culture. 

More than 32,000 customers will be staying for longer on three- or four-night breaks , with more time to experience all Lapland has to offer. 

Phillip Iverson, TUI UK&I commercial director, said: “Lapland has always been one of our most treasured destinations for TUI, as we know how much it means for our customers.

The Northern Echo: Flight crews in full Christmas spirit modeFlight crews in full Christmas spirit mode (Image: TUI)

"We know that people save and plan far in advance so it’s our commitment to ensure they don’t worry about a thing.

"Our homeworking retail team endeavour to call everyone that has booked online instead of in-store to talk them through their trip.

"This year due to popular demand we’ve increased the number of flights to ensure more Brits can experience the magic that is Lapland. It’s a place where dreams such as seeing the Northern Lights, meeting Santa in his home and husky sleigh-riding in the snow becomes a reality”.  

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Ben Christe, TUI’s service delivery manager in Lapland, added: “Lapland is a truly magical place to work; where else can you spend your days off feeding reindeers, enjoying a husky ride or witnessing the Northern Lights.

"The experiences our guests have in Lapland are like no other, and you just know that everyone who visits is making memories which will last a lifetime.

"The children are awe-struck, and that’s why we all love to do it. It’s incredible to see the smiles on everyone’s faces as they arrive and leave, knowing that we played a part in bringing the magic to life tends to be the kind of destination people only visit once, and so my advice for anyone who is planning on visiting is to take in as much as you can, as it’s a once in a lifetime experience”.