More Flights From Regional Airports Mean An Easier Start to Your Ski Holiday

For many years, skiers and snowboarders from outside of London and the Southeast had to travel to Gatwick and Heathrow for the greatest choice of direct flights to the Alps.

Luton and Stansted subsequently joined the list, creating a formidable network of ski routes from London and the surrounding region to key Alpine gateways including Geneva, Grenoble, Chambéry, Lyon, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Turin.

The balance has now changed. Regional airports have become increasingly important to the ski market, with airlines recognising that skiers and snowboarders don’t necessarily want to drive several hours to London before they have even started their holiday.

This season sees an increase in new and expanded flights from airports based outside London. These include Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, and Newcastle, alongside Belfast.

Several have routes to Verona in Italy, which provides an important gateway to the Dolomites.

Manchester is particularly well served with flights to Chambéry, Geneva, Grenoble, Innsbruck, Lyon, Salzburg, Turin and Verona. Birmingham has six of these destinations, while Edinburgh has services to six.

New Birmingham–Oslo Ski Route

One of the most significant additions is a new Birmingham–Oslo service. The weekly Sunday flight starts on 13 December 2026 and runs through to 14 February 2027, giving skiers and snowboarders in the Midlands direct access to Norwegian resorts including Gausta, Norefjell, Geilo and Beitostølen.

New Cardiff–Turin Ski Flights

Wales gets one of the season’s most interesting new ski links. It is a Cardiff–Turin weekly service which starts on 20 December 2026 and continues until 14 March 2027.

The route gives skiers and snowboarders in South Wales direct access to northern Italy, and resorts including Bardonecchia, Cervinia and Sauze d’Oulx. It is particularly useful because Turin provides a gateway to a very different selection of resorts from those normally served by flights to Geneva, Chambéry or Salzburg.

Newquay–Geneva Flights for the Alps

One of the most eye-catching new regional routes is Newquay–Geneva. The weekly Saturday flights will operate from 16 January until 27 February 2027, giving Cornish skiers their first direct link to Switzerland and, more importantly, the French and Swiss Alps.

New Winter Flights to Finnish Lapland

Liverpool John Lennon Airport also gains a new winter snow link with a twice-weekly service to Kittilä in Finnish Lapland on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Kittilä is the main gateway for resorts including Levi and Ylläs, and the service begins on 25 November 2026. Luton Airport is also offering a service to Kittilä.

There is also a new Belfast–Rovaniemi twice-weekly service giving Northern Ireland its own direct connection with Finnish Lapland.

Regional Airports Make Ski Travel Easier

Rather than concentrating all the growth at Gatwick and Heathrow, airlines and tour operators are increasingly trying to put skiers on planes at their nearest airport.

For British skiers and snowboarders, that could be one of the most welcome trends of the new season. Flying from a regional airport can cut out a long journey to London, reduce the stress of getting through one of the capital’s airports and, in many cases, make a week’s skiing feel like a much shorter journey.

Key new regional routes for 2026/27 in brief:

Changes to Gatwick Ski Flights for 2026/27

As well as new and expanded routes at regional airports, there have been some significant changes for the 2026/27 ski season from Gatwick giving British skiers and snowboarders considerably more choice for the French, Swiss, Austrian and Italian Alps.

Another important Gatwick development is that British Airways is moving its Innsbruck service from Heathrow to Gatwick from December 2026.

This is just a selection of the new and expanded flights on offer this season. For more information on these and other routes, the resorts they serve, and the accommodation, packages and tailor-made holidays available through Ski Line, talk to their experts by using the contact details and chat facilities. You will find these contact details on the website.