This week, representatives of the city of Oulu have met and negotiated with airlines at an industry event in Morocco. Direct routes to European fields are sought from Oulu.
– We have already met with some of them before. Sometimes we move forward in the negotiations, sometimes there is a setback. This is very long-term work and the processes are long.
Kivisaari does not reveal airlines or cities while negotiations are in progress. According to the newspaper Kaleva, which reported on the plans, Oulu’s goal is to create routes to two fields in Europe (Kaleva.
Kivisaari considers it realistic that in the near future there would be direct flights to Europe from Finland’s second largest airport, and that a company other than Finnair would operate at the airport.
Representatives of Business Oulu and Oulu tourism have negotiated with 11 airlines in Morocco this week. The industry’s route event Connect ends in Tangier today, Friday. According to Kivisaari, in addition to the companies he met in Morocco, he has also discussed Oulu flights with a few other companies.
Winter and the 2026 cultural year as Oulu’s strengths
Oulu is negotiating with both long-haul scheduled airlines and low-cost airlines, but winter charter traffic is also of interest.
In practice, Oulu’s representatives present the companies with the opportunities offered by the city and the Oulu region for tourists.
But how realistic are the negotiations?
– If negotiations were not used, then at least there would be no realistic possibility that someone would arrive and start flights, Kivisaari states.
According to the CEO of Oulu tourism, the negotiations with some of them are already quite advanced. With a few companies, calculations and statistics about costs, for example, are reviewed.
So there seems to be interest in Oulu. According to Kivisaari, the attractiveness of Oulu is increased by the fact that there is no competition in the direction of Europe from here and Oulu will be the European capital of culture in 2026.
Naturally, we also want to use the opportunities of winter tourism in Oulu.
– In Central Europe, even in the Alps, there is not much snow. However, people want to experience the joy of snow and winter. Compared to Lapland, our advantage is the frozen sea, which is a unique and beautiful experience, Kivisaari paints possibilities.
Fast forward to next winter
Oulu’s representatives will return from Morocco to winter Finland with an even wider toolkit.
According to Kivisaari, it could be considered a success if a couple of companies would take a closer look at Oulu’s possibilities, and with whom we would proceed further in negotiations.
– Of course, at this point, my own ambitious goal would be to get someone interested already next winter. Then you could try cooperation with winter flights at a certain time.
Kivisaari would be surprised if next winter already happened. On the other hand, according to the tourism director, it has been said in the discussion that the companies are looking for Nordic destinations for next winter.
Oulu’s goal is to make the new route successful by 2026 at the latest.
– It would be important to find a route that works in both directions, says Kivisaari.